Culture · 9 of the best in Sri Lanka
The ’43 Group to the rainforest: Sri Lankan art
The back story
About The ’43 Group to the rainforest: Sri Lankan art
Sri Lankan art runs from the frescoes of Sigiriya and the temple murals of Dambulla and Kelaniya to a modern movement born in Colombo in 1943.
Murals and frescoes
The painted women of Sigiriya, from the 5th century, are the island’s best-known ancient paintings. Temple murals continued the tradition for centuries, from the cave temples of Dambulla to the 20th-century murals of Kelaniya.
The ’43 Group
In 1943 a group of artists in Colombo, gathered around the photographer and patron Lionel Wendt, founded the ’43 Group. Its members, including George Keyt, Ivan Peries, Justin Daraniyagala and Harry Pieris, combined modern European ideas with Sri Lankan subjects and traditions, and made Sri Lankan modern art known abroad.
The ’43 Group took Sri Lankan painting into the modern world, without leaving the island behind.
Senaka Senanayake
Senaka Senanayake, who first exhibited as a child prodigy, is known for his large, vivid canvases of the rainforest, full of leaves, flowers and birds.
Contemporary art
Today, artists such as Jagath Weerasinghe and Chandraguptha Thenuwara are among the leading names of Sri Lankan contemporary art, alongside a lively younger generation.
Where to see it
In Colombo, visit the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), the Saskia Fernando Gallery and the Lionel Wendt Art Centre, and the galleries at Paradise Road and Barefoot.
Our advice: see the frescoes at Sigiriya and the murals at Dambulla, then spend an afternoon among the galleries of Colombo 7 and Colombo 3 to see where the story goes next.
Why it's on our list
- Murals and frescoes
- The ’43 Group
- Senaka Senanayake
- Contemporary art
- Where to see it
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The ’43 Group to the rainforest: Sri Lankan art before you go.