Gods of Metal

Saturday, 3 November 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Saskia Fernando Gallery Colombo, together with Galerie Steph of Singapore, is pleased to present the first Singaporean solo exhibition of Sri Lankan sculptor Prageeth Manohansa, ‘Gods of Metal,’ which will be exhibited from 9 November to 29 December 2012.

Prageeth Manohansa is most celebrated for his unique metal sculpture but this exhibition will also include his charcoal works on paper. Prageeth’s life-sized sculptures are made primarily out of recycled scrap metal transformed into stunning pieces.

His technique of using metal objects to create art has taken years of thought and planning, and the results are obvious to any viewer. While his work on paper in the exhibition are much more restrained, they are still captivating images that express dynamic sculptural movement and emotion.

Prageeth Manohansa belongs to a new wave of artists that has emerged from post-war Sri Lanka. This movement follows two specific periods in Sri Lankan art history, namely that of the 43 Group and the ‘90s movement.

The former introduced modern contemporary art to the island, with heavy influences from Western art practices. The ‘90s movement changed the face of contemporary art entirely, drawing inspiration from the countries state of civil war as well as the social and cultural tension that ensued.

Following Manohansa’s studies in India, he returned to Sri Lanka to study under many of the artists from the ‘90s movement. His education in art had in fact begun at home many years earlier, under the guidance of his father and it was at his years in university that he began to put theory into practice. Manohansa began exhibiting his work shortly after graduating from university. His work belongs to private collections internationally and was recently featured in the Indonesian design company, Nuage Brandings’ calendar for 2012.

It is the sustainable nature and conceptual form of Manohansa’s work that leaves him unrivaled. This young artist has the ability to capture movement and social concepts with heavy metal with a raw organic skill.

Saskia Fernando Gallery is one of the leading galleries in Sri Lanka and was established in February 2009. The gallery organises and curates exhibitions for contemporary Sri Lankan artists working in multiple mediums, that is, artists from Sri Lanka as well as artists living and working in the country. The Saskia Fernando Gallery also co-curates exhibitions of contemporary Sri Lankan art internationally.

Galerie Steph is located in Tanjong Pagar Distripark and was founded by Singapore native Stephanie Tham in July 2007 to showcase both European modern art masters and contemporary Asian artists. Since its founding, Galerie Stephhas presented numerous exhibitions featuring Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Henri Marisse, Marc Chagall, Fernando Botero, MithuSen, Nobuyoshi Araki and others. Stephanie was educated at Christie’s New York and developed professional expertise at leading New York galleries before returning to Singapore to establish Galerie Steph. Stephanie helped organise artist Fernando Botero’s first-ever Singapore exhibition in 2004 and is an expert in his paintings and sculpture.