News
Launch of “George Keyt: The Absence Of A Desired Image”
The latest and by far most comprehensive study of Sri Lanka’s preeminent painter, George Keyt: The Absence of a Desired Image was launched at The Residence at Cinnamon Life on Tuesday, January 23. The event was attended by many of Sri Lanka’s leading intellectual figures, members of the diplomatic community, and representatives of sectors inclusive of the media, advertising, academia, civil society, and the corporate world.
Authored by Dr SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, Sri Lanka’s leading art historian, and published by the Taprobane Collection, one of Sri Lanka’s most extensive collections of art, George Keyt: The Absence of a Desired Image places Keyt in the context of his times, focusing on areas that have not been studied in relation to his career.
Dr SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda
The book features paintings, photographs, illustrations, and images hitherto unpublished and archive material hitherto undocumented in previous studies on Keyt. Crucially, it features interviews with people who knew or knew of Keyt, including the historian K. M. de Silva and the American anthropologist Ellen Dissanayake, as well as Dr Sarath Amunugama, Godfrey Gunatilleke, Tilak Samarawickrema, and Keyt’s daughter Diana.
Reputed in not just Sri Lanka but also India, and exhibited in not just Asia but also Europe, George Keyt (1901-1993) shaped the course of cultural modernism across the region. He associated closely with the leading modern Indian artists of his day, including the novelist Mulk Raj Anand and the painter M. F. Husain. The book sheds light on these aspects of his career, drawing from both written and oral sources.
The book also explores his early career, where he embraced Buddhism and came under the influence of Kandyan art and culture. It incorporates archive material from this period, including a series of his line drawings that depict stories from the life of the Buddha, among other subjects, as well as several of his poems, essays, and stories.
Speaking at the launch, the author of the book Dr SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda reflected on Keyt’s evolution in a rather interesting presentation. Following an intervention by Research Coordinator Uditha Devapriya, the owner and curator of the Taprobane Collection Shamil Peiris emphasized the importance and relevance of the study, and the Collection’s efforts at promoting Sri Lankan art through exhibitions and publications.
George Keyt: The Absence of a Desired Image is for scholars of art and art history as well as for general readers interested in the art and society of Sri Lanka. It will be available at leading bookstores in the country in the near future. For more information, the publisher can be contacted at shamilp54@gmail.com.
The Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development has recommended the establishment of Sri Lankan Standards, i.e. the import testing methodology for imported tires used for passenger cars and pneumatic tires for three-wheelers with the aim of ensuring a fair competitive environment for local
manufactures and ensuring consumer safety and security.
Taking into the said recommendations, “Import and Export (control regulations N0.08 of the 2026)” has been enacted to amend the existing regulations by means of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2508/27 dated 2026-10-01, prescribing Sri Lanka standard 1212 for the import of passenger types (HS Code 4011.10.90) and Sri Lanka standard 1347 for the import of
pneumatic tires for three – wheeled vehicles (HS Code 4011.90.10).
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to submit the aforementioned regulations to Parliament for approval.
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 02.06.2025 to introduce a new act to promote and providing legal provisions for facilitating the Public Private Joint Enterprises within Sri Lanka as well as the establishment of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership Joint Enterprises.
Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the relevant draft bill and the Attorney General has given his clearance to the said draft bill.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to publish the said
draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby submit it to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Regulation, development and control of indigenous medical sector in Sri Lanka comprised of Ayurvedha, Sidhdha, Unani, Local Therapies are carried out under the provisions of Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Although amendments were made to the act from time to time as per the requirements, the necessity of further amending the Ayurvedha Act has been identified to enable efficiently maintaining all activities of local medical field productively, further formalizing the regulation of the sector, taking actions to providing licenses applicable to export of local medicines, and achieving the progress and sustainable development goals in the local medical sector.
Based on the said factors, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to direct the Legal Draftsman to formulate a draft bill to amend the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961.
Import and Export (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026
Draft Bill of the Public Private Partnership Enterprises Act to be gazzetted
Amendment of the Ayurvedha Act No. 31 of 1961
Cabinet nod to amend the Sri Lanka Development Administration Institute Act No. 9 of 1982
Establishment of the National Higher Performance Centre
State patronage for the cremation ceremony of the late deputy prelate (Anu Nayaka Thero) of the Sri Laka Ramangya Maha Nikaya, Gatambe Rajopawanramadhipatha, Siri Chandawimala Wanshalankara, Chandrakeerthi Sri Amarawansha, Sadhdharmawageeshwara, Shasanashobhanna Most Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimalabhidhana Thero
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