Independence of Language True independence can be achieved only when we become “language independent”. In order to escape from Linguistic Colonialism we should aim to build new bridges for a trilingual Sri Lanka Man can be truly “Independent” only when he has Independence in communicating with all mankind. We would have enjoyed this independence millions [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Uncategorized category.
Sacred Couplets – Thrukural
Sacred Couplets daya dissanayake The painting was on the wall in the house of the Kurukkal of Maviddapuram kovil. A painting which had survived the ravages of the war, because the Kurukkal family held it as a precious and sacred object. It was a portrait of the poet Thiruvalluvar. The 1330 couplets written 2000 years [...]
Creative Placemaking. Colombo
Another side of Urban Arts The Independence Square has been converted into one good example of Urban Arts or Creative Placemaking, as I wrote about a few weeks ago. Enjoying the luxury of a few minutes at the new-look Independence Square however reminded me of the inequality in our society and that even the Urban [...]
Mahagama Sekera
A Halo for Sekara 36 years ago on the January 14th, one of the greatest “artists” in our country passed away. I use the term artist not because he was just a painter, but because he created music by his paintings, paintings by his poems and lyrics, symphonies by his novels, short stories, children’s books [...]
Mark Twain
‘Two Fathoms Deep’ Samuel Clemens While readers are on waiting lists for the print edition I had the good fortune to download the ‘Autobiography of Mark Twain’ onto my Kindle and start reading. It cost me only $ 4.99. If and when the printed edition comes to Sri Lanka, it would cost a few thousand [...]
Poetic Licence and Religious Tolerance
Poetic License and Religious Tolerance Among all religions, the tolerance displayed by the Christian Church regarding the poetic license used by writers, artists and film makers about the Gospels and Jesus Christ stands out as an example to all other religious institutions. More research has been done, more books have been written about the life [...]
Italo Calvino
The Kaleidoscope of Italo Calvino I started reading the book as just another novel, but by the time I read the last page, I felt as if I had read about all the writers and all the novels ever written, and to be written by man in the future. I read it with a mindset [...]
Jaffna carvings
Temple Carvings in Jaffna What stands out on the partly ruined six-wheeled wooden chariot are the blocks of intricate carvings. The carvings are really the work of a master-craftsman, devoting painstaking days and weeks on his creation. We talk about the carvings of Khajuraho, Konark and Mahabalipuram in India, the pre-historic carvings and sculpture, the [...]
Creativity and food
Eating and Creativity Recently an idea has been floated that N-acetyl-aspartate or NAA to Neuroscientists, could be the chemical which controls creativity in the human brain. If one or more chemicals in our brain or the nervous system could be the decisive factor for creative talents, it opens up a Pandora’s box. Are NAA and [...]
cultural chauvinism
Cultural Chauvinism One of the most noted examples of chauvinism in the Arts is the name given by Marquis Paul de Vibraye to the little female figurine found at Laugerie-Basse. He called it ‘Venus impudique’ (immodest Venus), mocking the entire feminine world, by relating it to the so-called ‘Venus pudica’ (modest Venus) who was trying [...]