Passion Parade: "A Different Road" Through An Artist's Eyes

By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

Roadscape, 2012, Digital Print

Post war development is underway in Jaffna peninsula like the rest of the country. Many main roads in Jaffna including KKS (Kaankesanthurai) road and Palaly road are under rapid construction, and expansion. Roadside shrines have either been relocated or removed during the process. Residents and shopkeepers along these roads are in the process of giving space for the road expansion, and bringing their cadjan fences and cement walls closer to their houses. These main roads are widened and carpeted.

Pradeep Thalawatta, an artist with Sinhala Buddhist background experimented and explored his experiences of Jaffna through art. He attempts to understand the Jaffna culture through simple red and white Hindu temple wall, Hibiscus flower which is found almost everywhere in Jaffna, worshipped and used for religious rituals and cuisine, road side shrines, pothole and rapidly changing landscape. He uses road as a metaphor to experiment and explain the existing environment in Jaffna. "I visited Jaffna for the first time in 2010 after the war ended. Red and white Hindu temple wall immediately captured my eyes. I have used red and white colours to depict socially and culturally different environment. I am aware of the fact that certain people may not like the idea of using the red and white vertical lines, which depict the Hindu temple wall. But, I have chosen these colours to experiment my experiences of living in Jaffna with a predominantly Tamil Hindu community” says Pradeep Thalawatta. He lived in Jaffna for nearly two years, and taught at the Department of Fine Arts, University of Jaffna.

“We feel very uncomfortable looking at 11 half naked portraits of the artist’s images dressed in red and white on “Roadscape””according to certain ardent female art lovers.

"A Different Road", an exhibition by Pradeep Thalawatta was held at Lionel Wendt Gallery in Colombo on 24^th and 25^th of November , and was hosted by Hempel Galleries.

Artist's portrait on the "Roadscape"

"I have experimented to explore using my experience been in Jaffna, despite the language barrier. The red and white Hindu temple wall caught my eyes, when I visited Jaffna after the war ended" ~ Pradeep Thalawatta