Month: June 2020

A Feast for the Senses: The Art of Senaka Senanayake

Featured originally on barnebys.co.uk, June 23, 2020

Senaka Senenayake (1951- ), Winged Wonders (detail), 2019, oil on canvas, 91.4 x 121.9 cm. Image via ARTIANA

Lush rainforests populated with tropical birds, colourful butterflies and Hindu and Buddhist deities tantalise the viewer in Senaka Senanayake’s latest exhibition and sale, ‘The Enchanted Forest’. 

Hosted by Artiana in Dubai, the online exhibition Senaka Senanayake: The Enchanted Forest marks Artiana’s inaugural sale with the beloved artist and features some of Senanayake’s most recent paintings. The sale runs for the month of June, and pieces include bold botanic imagery, fields of eye-catching butterflies, and clusters of cheery macaws. Senanayake captures the beauty of the tropical rainforest on his canvases, allowing viewers to bring a piece of nature into their own homes. 

Born in Sri Lanka in 1951, Senaka Senenayake quickly became known as a child prodigy for his artistic prowess and had his first international one-man show in New York at the age of the ten. He later studied at Yale, gaining his degree in Art and Architecture before moving back to Sri Lanka. Currently residing in Colombo, he continues to use the flora and fauna of his home country as inspiration for his work, fostering appreciation for his surroundings and making him one of the best-known artists of the region.  

Environmentalism plays a huge part in Senenayake’s work, and his love and respect for nature shines through his paintings. The Sri Lankan rainforests are threatened by intense deforestation, and industries like tea production are particularly destructive in their pursuit of farmable land for plantations. Native animals disappear as their habitats are destroyed, and entire ecosystems are in danger of collapse.

Senanayake utilises painting as a form of advocacy, depicting the beauty of these threatened landscapes and creating an awareness of their precarious situation. He searches for harmony between people and the earth, encouraging viewers to connect to and coexist with the natural environments around them. The diversity and colour in Senanayake’s paintings speak to the vibrancy of the forests, and remind us of how precious they truly are.

However, Senanayake focuses on the current vitality of the rainforests rather than contemplating their destruction. In paintings like Winged Wonders, the canvas comes alive with butterflies flitting around a variety of flowers. He captures the multitudes of species around him in a few bold brushstrokes and celebrates the bright and colourful life of the ‘Enchanted Forest.’

Religious imagery also appears frequently in Senanayake’s works, such as depictions of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity known as the patron of the arts, remover of obstacles and the deva of wisdom. Transparent bubbles appear around animals to represent the eternal circle of life as conceived by Buddhists, while the lotus flower signifies enlightenment and rebirth.

Spirituality and nature exist side by side in Senenayake’s idyllic scenes, depicting the splendor of the outdoors while reminding us that humans are just one part of a larger ecosystem. It is easy to get lost in his paintings, appreciating the colour and masterful brushwork while feeling the very same joy and serenity that one experiences while in nature.

Artiana’s sale ends 30 June at 9pm UAE time, with all bidding occurring virtually. The full catalogue is available online to browse, and prior registration is required to place a bid. 

Senaka Senanayake: The Enchanted Forest | Selling Exhibition | 1 – 30 June 2020

‘Senaka Senanayake: The Enchanted Forest’ is an online selling exhibition featuring recent works of the artist based on his signature subjects of tropical rainforests, vivid butterflies, colorful macaws, and majestic paintings of mythological Hindu deities Ganesha and Krishna. Each work from this exhibition is a celebration of his native country’s flora and fauna, showing his fervent passion for nature’s beauty and great appreciation for the vibrancy and diversity of the forests that stir his imagination and inspire his works.

Senaka Senanayake – Butterfly Garden (2018) – 30 x 72 in. (76.2 x 182.9 cm.) – oil on canvas

For years, he has concentrated his art as a medium of advocacy by depicting beautiful scenes from the rainforest to promote public awareness of environmental degradation, expressing deep concern over the loss of nature to the hands of man. His relentless search for peace and coexistence with nature by fusing the modernity of European art forms to the more traditional Sinhala lends his paintings a uniqueness that is truly his own.

Senaka Senanayake – Mayur Ganesha in The Enchanted Forest (2018) – oil on canvas – 48 x 48 in. (121.9 x 121.9 cm.)

In selecting themes and figurations which have a deep religious connotation; like the ubiquitous transparent bubbles which signify the eternal cycle of life in the Buddhist faith, the lotus, and the portrayal of Hindu Gods, Senaka introduces a sense of spirituality through his art ushering the viewer into the junction where spirituality and nature meet.

Through this series of works portraying virgin habitats of butterflies, birds, colorful ferns, and flowers that make a riot of color and illuminates the idyllic setting of ‘The Enchanted Forest,’ Senaka brings to his audience the lushness and splendor of nature while also delivering feelings of joy, healing, and serenity one gets from spending time with it.

Exhibition Catalogue – Senaka Senanayake: The Enchanted Forest – An Online Selling Exhibition – June 1-30, 2020

ELLINGTON ART GALLERY AT DT1 IN DOWNTOWN DUBAI ADDS TO THE CULTURAL SHOWCASE OF THE CITY

Original article posted May 21, 2020 at ellingtonproperties.ae

“It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Ellington Properties on this initiative as we aim to continue raising levels of appreciation for art across the region. The Ellington Art Gallery will serve as a perfect springboard from which we will showcase established as well as emerging artists. […]”

Lavesh Jagasia, Managing Director, Artiana

First dedicated art gallery by Ellington Properties developed in partnership with art auction house Artiana.

Ellington Properties, Dubai’s leading design-led property developer, has announced its first dedicated art gallery that will add to the cultural showcase of the city, a vibrant global hub for arts and culture. Celebrating the design-led ethos of the developer, Ellington Properties will soon open doors to Ellington Art Gallery, located in its DT1 residential tower in Downtown Dubai, which will be completed shortly.

Taking pride of place on the ground floor, the gallery is developed in collaboration with leading art auction house, Artiana, and will feature specially curated, contemporary art exhibitions. In addition to adding aesthetic and inspirational value to the residents of DT1, the Ellington Art Gallery will provide art lovers and visitors compelling cultural experiences through the various exhibits.

Robert Booth, Managing Director, Ellington Properties, said: “Art and design are fundamental elements in the creation of appealing, contemporary developments that people want to live in. With this in mind, we chose to launch the first Ellington Art Gallery at DT1, our first development in Downtown Dubai. Led by its central location, elegant architecture and world-class design, DT1 will be a sought-after location for those who aspire to be at the heart of Dubai’s vibrant lifestyle destination with the gallery creating an added referral point for their refined lifestyle.”

Lavesh Jagasia, Managing Director, Artiana, added: “It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Ellington Properties on this initiative as we aim to continue raising levels of appreciation for art across the region. The Ellington Art Gallery will serve as a perfect springboard from which we will showcase established as well as emerging artists. The curatorial programme will focus on exhibitions that will add to the multicultural art landscape of Dubai while enhancing the experience of residents in contemporary communities such as DT1 in Downtown Dubai. We are inclined to support Ellington’s commitment to art and look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration as we support them in the delivery of exceptional, liveable communities for modern living.”

The spacious Ellington Art Gallery will host the works of artists from around the world, with the aim to broaden the understanding and appreciation of art in Dubai and the region. In addition to curated selling exhibitions, the gallery will offer a range of services including acquisitions, collection management, curatorial services, and advisory along with private sales and bespoke art storage solutions for collectors.

The launch of Ellington Art Gallery further underlines the company’s wider support of the artistic community, creating opportunities for them to showcase their work. Recently, Ellington Properties partnered with the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) for the central art piece Hamama in Belgravia II which won The Collaboration award at the Bazaar Interiors Awards 2020.

Just walking distance from the iconic Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opera and The Dubai Mall, DT1 is set in an area of about 20,000 square meters and rises to a majestic height of 76 meters. The property has won several awards including ‘Best Residential High-Rise’ at the Middle East Architect Awards 2019 and ‘Best Architecture – Multiple Residence’ at the Arabian Property Awards 2019.