Genius painter of the north and his life

• Sarath Perera, the artistic colleague from the south of Lanka speaks of Asai Rasiah, Jaffna’s most renowned artist

Below is an interview with Sarath Gunasiri Perera, currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Painting, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Visual and Performing Arts, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was one of the few southern artistes to be closely connected with the artistic work and life of Asai Rasiah who taught art at Royal College till July 1983 and then lived in seclusion, carrying out his painting in Jaffna till his death in 2020.

Sarath only met Rasiah after the end of the conflict in 2009 but the artistic bond they shared covered the lapse of not knowing each other before.

Sarath Perera learnt first-hand how this Jaffna’s veteran artist had his artistic journey and professional career as a teacher thwarted due to the events of 1983. He learnt that since then Rasiah lived a life of absolute hardship, without being able to get reinstated as an art teacher in Royal College, Colombo, the job he vacated by leaving for Jaffna to escape the 1983 July riots. To be able to fend for his family, Rasiah took to tailoring. Till he died the countless letters he wrote to diverse government officials of Sri Lanka to get his pension remains to date unfulfilled. 

In this interview, Sarath Perera speaks of his association with Asai Rasiah, the art circuit of the north and east of Sri Lanka and about the artist that this country lost. 

It is our wish that the government minister/s who are responsible for arts and culture, etc., of this nation will take note of the facts that emerge in this interview so that such artists who are not yoked to money, who carry out their artistic mission wherever they are in Sri Lanka; will be recognised in their lifetime.

Such recognition is a service not to an individual but to art and artistes as a whole and to the country in general because it is known that petty prejudice does not usually enter the mind of someone who is attuned to a higher realm of existence through artistic creation.

The book on the life and work of Asai Rasiah is to be re-launched shortly. The relevant government ministries and institutions responsible for promoting the arts, can, if they wish to, assist in the purchase and promotion of the book (so that it can be distributed to national institutions). The book re-launch will be held in a parallel to the North-South exchange highlighting traditional knowledge and arts, supported by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR). The event is initiated, conceptualised and coordinated by writer Frances Bulathsinghala. Following are excerpts of the interview:

By Surya Vishwa 

Q: Could we begin by explaining your artistic journey and where you are today in your personal evolution, parallel to the social changes of Sri Lanka you have witnessed?

 I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Painting, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Visual and Performing Arts, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I had previously served as its Dean and Head of the Department. 

I joined as a student in 1983 and studied at the University of Performing Arts until 1987. I served as an external lecturer until 1991 and joined the permanent faculty in 1991. In 1993, I entered the Banaras Hindu University in India for my postgraduate studies. In 1996, I completed my postgraduate studies and returned to work as usual.

Although I am currently working as a lecturer, I am also involved in creative work in the field of visual arts as an artist. So far, I have held several solo art exhibitions and contributed to many collective exhibitions, both local and foreign. Having joined the Art Sculpture Panel of the Arts Council of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Government of Sri Lanka in 2005 I later became its chairman, organising various workshops and art competitions for the country’s veteran artists as well as the children of the nation.

I love to work in a peaceful environment and all my new creations are more popularly known as “In search freedom”. I believe art and a peaceful frame of mind is synonymous. 

Currently I am in the process of sharing my subject knowledge to represent all the districts of the island including the north and east to maintain a better and friendly relationship with many who are engaged in this subject in those districts. I am currently working as an External Lecturer and supervisor at the Sri Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetics in the Eastern Province.

Q: Could you speak of the art spectrum of different parts of Sri Lanka?

 From what I have seen and experienced, i do not see much difference between the north and the south in the field of art. I have contributed to various programs and workshops in the area of visual arts in all regions, especially for young artists from the north and the east who have opened up a lot of space within the Colombo-centric art space. This situation is unique in many countries, as well as in major cities, especially in Sri Lanka, especially in Colombo. 

It is worth mentioning here that some artists living in the suburbs of Colombo ignore the many privileges that artists can get if they have the commitment and talent. It is a matter of pursuing your art and being aware of the opportunities in the city. Artistes also can contribute to creating such opportunities. I must mention here that despite the difficulties, there are young people who come to Colombo from Jaffna and come to Colombo from the east to develop their artistic knowledge and broaden their exposure. Their creations get exhibited in the Colombo city art galleries. The more we can do to create such opportunities, the better.

Q: When were you exposed to northern art?

 My first exposure was the day we left for the Jaffna District workshop; the “State Children’s Art Festival” organised by the Arts Council of the Department of Cultural Affairs in September 2009 for all school-going children in the country. This was my very first visit to Jaffna. During this time the conflict between the LTTE and Government forces, which was interpreted as a brutal ethnic crisis, came to an end. I believe this is the first children’s program organised with the intervention of a government agency. My friend and fellow artist, Anil Atapattu worked with me as a resource person for this workshop. 

Travelling to Jaffna at the time was a memorable experience; it was a very difficult journey. Some of the roads were not even cleared. There were landmine threats. We were given special instructions by the Government forces and were safely escorted by a buffel to Elephant Pass. We left for Jaffna in the morning from Anuradhapura and by the time we reached there it was around 4 p.m. I remember the Assistant Government Agent in Jaffna and his officials waiting in front of the Government Agent’s office until we arrived safely. We were greeted warmly by them. They welcomed and entertained us as much as they could and discussed the next day’s children’s workshop. 

The workshop was a great success and we continue to have the same trust and connection that followed. I believe that these kinds of programs should be regularly held and I am very happy to hear of the upcoming re-launch of Rasiah Master’s book to be held in the north. We look forward to supporting similar events in the future wherever they are held in Sri Lanka.

Q: Rasiah Master is the artist genius of Jaffna who died unrecognised and without receiving even his pension. Could you tell us about him and how your friendship started?

 We first met Asai Rasiah master in Jaffna in 2009. He was a special guest artist who came to the workshops at Vembadi College, which encouraged the students to participate in the “State Children art Festival” organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs for schoolchildren on 10 September 2009. He was listening to us and following the program very quietly. Gradually he began to tell us all about himself on the basis of the trust and friendship he had developed after he had spoken to us during the program. Only then did it become clear that he was an alumnus of our university in Colombo. 

I still have the vivid image of him coming to see us whenever we went to Jaffna. He used to arrive, riding his old push cycle, often carrying a small bag of Jaffna bites (like Murukku). Once I recall we went to Jaffna with the then Vice Chancellor of our university, Prof. Jayasena Kottegoda, and Professor of Dance, Ariyaratne Kaluarcarchi as well as both young and senior art academics and students. It is then that these southern art academics knew that we were close to him. I recall one profound statement – when Prof. Aryirathne said ‘we are artists’ – Rasiah responded “We are not only artists, we are human.” This was around 2014. When we first went to his house in 2009 – it was evening time when we saw his creations. We were greatly impressed by the brilliant features in them and realised that it is our duty as fellow artists to do all we could for him. Since then, artist Anil Atapattu and I have been in constant contact with him.

During the ethnic strife in July 1983, he left Royal College, Colombo, where he had been working as an art teacher. He left the job he loved to save his life. After moving to Jaffna, he lived a very different life for many years. By the time we met, he was past retirement age. Various attempts had already been made throughout his life to regain his teaching service, but to no avail. Later attempts were made to get the pension he was entitled to, but again it was fruitless. I also made personal efforts for this and met with various government officials and obtained the necessary advice. We wrote letters and made phone calls and even went to meet these VIPs. Although the matter eventually came to some progress by 2020, Rasiah unfortunately passed away in 2020.

In 2017, he was the most distinguished participant in the “State Art Sculpture Festival” organised by the Visual Arts Panel of the National Arts Council, of which I was then President. He was awarded the “Drushya Kala Abhimani” award. It was a very emotional moment for him and so was it for us. We have met on so many various occasions since 2009, when he came to Colombo and when we visited Jaffna. In Jaffna his home became like our home. We always visited there and enjoyed a cup of tea and meals.

He was the bridge in the field of art that connected the north and the south after the ethnic crisis. He was one of our most talented and diligent alumni. In the 1960s, he was an alumnus of the Government Art Institute, the earliest branch of what is now the University of the Visual and Performing Arts in Sri Lanka. Losing him is for Sri Lanka losing one of the greatest artists who could have been encouraged and recognised to develop the talent of younger artists, wherever they are in the country. 

I believe in the north it is a great loss to the entire artistic people of the district. However, it is not clear to me whether the people of Jaffna had a proper understanding of his genius. At least now if the north and Sri Lanka begin to interpret his artistic creation, carried out amidst much difficulty and at a difficult epoch of the nation it would be good. At a personal level I can only reiterate that losing him was a major loss to me. 

Q: Could you explain in detail the difficulties Rasiah Master faced. I ask you to do this so that we can pass this interview to the relevant authorities responsible for arts and culture so that they can ensure the due recognition of true aesthetic veterans of this country, whatever the district they are based in?

It was a bitter experience throughout his life that he had to leave the teaching profession he had loved in the face of the ethnic crisis of 1983 and move to his native Jaffna. He did so to save his life and never get the job again. He was unable to re-establish himself as a teacher and artist. Being married, he found it very difficult to support his wife and daughter. He also worked as a tailor to support his family. This was how a brilliantly talented artist had to sacrifice his art life. 

After graduating from the Government Institute of Fine Arts, he contributed to various fields in fine art and has produced more than twenty postage stamps. It is a pity that no matter how much he tried to get his pension while he was alive, he could not get it. I did my best for him and two or three months before his death he told me that he was going to receive the pension very soon. But so far it has not been received. I would like to mention here that he had all the necessary documents and submitted them to the relevant responsible institutions.

Q: What is your impression of the arts sphere in the north of this island?

 It is my personal belief that the field of visual arts in the north of Sri Lanka is generally well established and various NGOs and individuals were and are involved in sponsoring these events. Once, I was invited to a scholarly discussion on my work as an artist, and many of the young artists who participated in it contributed with great enthusiasm. Veterans of the Jaffna District at that time and university lecturers also participated in this event. 

At present, the works of many young artists are being displayed even in the Colombo Central Gallery space. Young artists in Jaffna are now turning to postgraduate studies based on visual arts abroad. Often the subject matter of their creations is the socio-political and economic environment they have experienced in the face of the ethnic crisis over the years.

Q: Could you speak of the book published on Rasiah Master’s art. The Harmony page is supporting a re-launch of this book and your insights on this book will be helpful. We will be carrying a separate review of the book soon as well.

 Asai Rasiah’s book “Vimbham” about his creative life, published during his lifetime, is a unique book written in Tamil. In it, he describes the pleasant and bitter experiences he had in his creative life and also in his personal life. Although it was written in Tamil, he later hoped to translate it into English, but it faded away with his death. The re-launch of the book will be a great respect to him and his beloved family as well as to many young artists working in the Tamil language and to those interested in it. In the subsequent detailed review, you are planning on the book I will contribute further with my analysis on his different paintings. 

He did a lot of portraits and landscapes. These are there in the book. He had trained with some of the top trainers of the art world such as J.D.A. Perera and Stanley Abeysinghe and David Painter, at our university when it was known as the college of fine arts. He had a strong foundation based on the academic training he got in art and his style is somewhat from the impressionist school. He had also been influenced by the Sri Lankan traditional painting and the Indian miniature style. The colours of his paintings were often alongside the brownish colour. 

He did not portray the 30-year-old conflict directly. This means he did not artistically ‘sell’ the war although he had ample opportunity to, as he was there as an artist from the very beginning of the conflict. He portrayed the humans beneath the war. The ordinary life that went on – the colours, the traditions and the people. Thereby he portrayed the correct heartbeat of the north.

 

Q: How can readers buy this book? 

 All of Rasiah’s works are currently kept with his daughter, and she owns them. My daughter can be contacted on 077 2184384 and on email [email protected].

Q: In your university, are there focused efforts to support the unity of Sri Lanka through arts?

 In fact, it is no secret that our university is more aware of the importance of national unity and ethnic reconciliation. Even in the past it was better among us. At that time there was a good relationship between us and the Ramanathan Academy in Jaffna and our university alumni. Students informed us when their students and lecturers went to Colombo and from Colombo our lecturers and students shared their sincerity. Asai Rasiah is a good example of this open mind.

I would also like to mention that there are courses on Bharatha Natyam and Karnatic Music, especially in the Faculty of Music and Dance of our university. Recently, we have organised various cultural programs in collaboration with the Faculty of Visual Arts, the Faculty of Music and the Faculty of Dance, Ramanathan Academy in Jaffna and the Vipulananda Academy in Batticaloa. The students as well as the lecturers were already working with them. 

Personally, l am involved with Vipulananda Academy and l have been working with students and administration and contributing to many of their curriculum, teaching, question paper preparation, and recruitment activities. It has been a very interesting and peaceful experience for me working with these artistes.