News
Styles of perception: the paintings of Suwanitha Senanayake
The Senanayake house if full of old family photographs and several colourful paintings. These last were in a range of styles, and I was amazed to discover that they were the work of Suwanitha Senanayake, yet another descendant in her own right of the family that sprang to prominence in the early years of the last century.
She has now finally decided to have an Exhibition, after over 40 years, though her pictures have been seen in public in between at group Exhibitions. This one is timely, for she has ventured far beyond her earlier work as to both style and subject matter. She has had no training, except for a year in childhood with Cora Abraham, when a picture of hers won a competition and appeared on the cover of a school book. And then, when her son went to Latifa Ismail, she tagged along and received some guidance which held her in good stead when her individuality developed.
Last year I was struck when she provided the illustrations for her son Vasantha’s first book of poetry, Transcending Sita. The ethereal quality of those pictures was repeated for his latest collection of poetry Daughters of the Dervish, and some of the originals are on display at the Exhibition. In stark contrast to these are the windswept landscapes, in one of which a church lurks, the one at Bogowantalawa where Julia Cameron is buried.
Then there are collages, where materials are added to the oil painting below, a striking study of cranes for instance entitled ‘Togetherness’ and ‘Lifestyles’ which presents a village scene with flat figures against a graded backdrop of roofs and walls and a startling tree.
The portraits are also striking. ‘Tortured soul’ which features in her son’s first epic poem contrasts with ‘Kandyan Lady’ resplendent in piled on jewellery with sets off a sharp profile. And again very different is ‘Women in Blue’, where the sinuous curves emphasize unrestrained femininity.
In these difficult days one appreciates the tranquility art can provide and this in their different ways the various subjects provide in abundance. The pictures will be on display at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery for three days from November 2nd.
Rajiva Wijesinha
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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