Sri Lankan artist Raja Segar to exhibit in Bengaluru for first time

“I ne'er thought I would beryllium an artist; astatine school, I was bully successful Chemistry and Math was my favourite subject,” says Raja Segar, known contiguous arsenic 1 of Sri Lanka’s foremost modern artists.

Segar, arsenic helium prefers to beryllium called, is having a solo accumulation successful Bengaluru, his archetypal successful the city. Titled Melody of Hues, the creator who is having a amusement successful India aft much than a decade, says a accidental to grounds successful this metropolis ne'er fell successful spot earlier this.

Melody of Hues volition showcase works of creation Segar has created implicit the past 3 years. Recognised for his portrayal of agrarian Sri Lanka and pastoral scenes, the creator has a chiseled benignant helium prefers to telephone “refractive”, with elements of cubism and abstractionism. “You see, successful schoolhouse I enjoyed Physics and Geometry too,” helium says.

“As a student, I would walk a batch of clip astatine the British Council room successful Colombo browsing done creation magazines and periodicals. I enjoyed speechmaking astir the lives of artists,” says Segar, adding that helium was fascinated by however neither Vincent van Gogh’s poorness nor Pablo Picasso’s fortunes stood successful the mode of their creativity.

After his studies, Segar began moving successful an accountancy steadfast and astir that clip time began designing greeting cards, which helium sent to household and friends. “At the time, astir cards depicted Western themes; excavation were astir beingness successful Sri Lanka. They became a immense deed and erstwhile a person introduced my enactment to beryllium stocked astatine a bookshop their popularity increased.”

By the aboriginal 1980s, Segar began creating serigraphs (a process of making precocious prime creation prints) and past switched to printing, to support up with the request for his greeting cards. He says, successful 1984, erstwhile a purchaser asked him to recreate his paper arsenic a painting, “I told him I was not an artist, that I lone made cards, but helium insisted I make a coating arsenic “a large card”. That was my archetypal coating and I inactive retrieve it was of shepherds returning location successful the evening.”

From there, Segar has gone places, with solos shows and exhibitions the satellite implicit arsenic good arsenic having immoderate of his works beryllium successful the imperishable postulation astatine the National Gallery of Victoria, successful Melbourne. He remembers with fondness however his morale and works got a boost erstwhile famed Sri Lankan creator Senaka Senanayake exhibited his works on with those of 3 others astatine an creation assemblage successful The Hilton, Colombo, for a decade. One of his paintings was utilized to grace the backmost screen of Reader’s Digest magazine successful Hong Kong, helping him garner a planetary audience.

“There was a clip erstwhile I would beryllium excessively awed to locomotion into an creation gallery; today, I person reddish carpet reception astatine those places. It ne'er ceases to astonishment me.” Despite his evident fame, Segar is approachable with consciousness of humour that puts 1 astatine ease. Talking astir his preferred medium, helium says helium uses oils connected canvas since, “they are easier to execute corrections on. Also, 1 tin rotation them up and transport them easily.”

Melody of Hues is Segar’s 60th solo amusement and helium says his inspiration remains home scenes from Sri Lanka, “of store keepers and beverage pluckers,” executed successful his trademark style. The accumulation was curated by Namita Swamy, founder-director of Tapobhumi Oko Centre for the Arts successful Bengaluru.

Melody of Hues, a solo amusement by creator Raja Segar volition beryllium connected show astatine Bangalore International Centre from September 26 to 28. Entry free.