SAMPATH AMUNUGAMA
LOVERS
SAMPATH AMUNUGAMA
28 APRIL 2016 - 25 MAY 2016
‘In the beginning there was a line’, once said Pliniusthe Elder, the natural philosopher who lived towards the end of the Roman Empire. Since then, generations of art historians and experts are more or less convinced that a sketch or a drawing always is the beginning of a process of art which is ending in a painting, a sculpture or in architecture. It must have been some ten years ago - I just had enjoyed his gorgeous painting Ardhanarishvara at an Exhibition – and then I visited the artist Sampath Amunugama for the first time at his place to have a look at his other paintings. It took ages before he showed me his latest paintings, because he first dragged from a small room a countless amount of drawings that soon covered the whole floor in the main room of his house. At that very time I thought that all these drawings were practices, assurances, philosophical and existential studies for his final paintings, because all elements in his drawings were also found in his paintings. Now, I know, that these drawings represent a distinctive and autonomous expression of the artist. Some drawings take weeks for Sampath to finish but others are made by the dozen in only one night. It seems that a primal force in his works sometimes just wants to destroy the medium on which it is used. Once, somebody told me ‘paintings can fill rooms, whereas drawings cause tension in a room’. I personally find this tension and the way it is created very exciting. Drawings don’t forgive any failures. Drawings are precious documents of our fragile beingness. Gerd Pueschel Berlin, April 2016
LOVERS I, 2016
LOVERS II, 2015
LOVERS III, 2016
LOVERS IV, 2015
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
LOVERS V, 2016
LOVERS VI, 2016
LOVERS VII, 2016
LOVERS VIII, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
LOVERS IX, 2015
LOVERS XI, 2016
LOVERS X, 2015
LOVERS XII, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
LOVERS XIII, 2016
LOVERS XV, 2016
LOVERS XIV, 2016
LOVERS XVI, 2016
LOVERS XVII, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
LOVERS XVIII, 2016
HOPE II, 2016
HOPE I, 2015
ISOLATION I, 2015
ISOLATION II, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
CALM I, 2015
CALM II, 2015
STILLNESS I, 2015
STILLNESS II, 2015
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
RESISTANCE I, 2015
RESISTANCE II, 2015
RESISTANCE III, 2015
ANXIETY, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
SHADOWS, 2015
MASK, 2015
ESCAPE I, 2015
ESCAPE II, 2015
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
SHADOW I, 2015
SHADOW III, 2016
SHADOW II, 2016
ECSTASY, 2015
SUN DOWN, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
CALM I, 2015
THE THINKER, 2016
CALM II, 2015
FLY AWAY, 2016
THE MOMENT BEFORE, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
SOLITUDE, 2015
THE DREAMER I, 2015
THE DREAMER II, 2016
COMMUNICATION, 2016
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
DISPERSE, 2015
FANTASIZING, 2015
FULFILLMENT, 2015
LONELINESS, 2015
LOVERS, Acrylic & Charcoal on Paper, 61 x 48 cm, LKR 45,000 each
SAMPATH AMUNUGAMA b. 1975 Education 2006
Postgraduate Diploma in Archeology, Postgraduate Institute of Archeology,
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
2004
BFA (Painting), Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Solo Exhibitions 2010
Exhibition of Paintings, Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2009
Exhibition of Paintings, Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2008
Exhibition of Paintings, Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2007
Exhibition of Paintings, Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005
Exhibition of Paintings, Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005
Exhibition of Paintings, Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Group Exhibitions (Selected) 2016
Sri Lankan Art, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, J.D.A. Perera Gallery, University of Visual and
Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2015
Sri Lankan Art, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, J.D.A. Perera Gallery, University of Visual and
Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2013
Sri Lankan Art, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, J.D.A. Perera Gallery, University of Visual and
Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2012
Nawa Kalakaruwo, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, J.D.A. Perera Gallery, University of Visual and
Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2011
Sri Lankan Art, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2010
Nawa Kalakaruwo, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2008
World Open Art Festival, South Korea
2008
Expressions Of Independence, The Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, France
2007
Sri Lankan Art, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2007
Nawa Kalakaruwo, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2006
Nawa Kalakaruwo, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005
88 Group Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Sri Lanka, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold
Peiris Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2004
Nawa Kalakaruwo, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold Peiris Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2004
Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold Peiris Gallery,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
2003
11th Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2003
Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold Peiris Gallery,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
2002
Annual Art Exhibition, organized by The Ceylon Society of Arts, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2002
Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold Peiris Gallery,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
2002
State Paintings & Sculpture Award Festival, organized by The Ministry of Cultural Affairs,
National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2001
Youth Awards Festival, organized by The National Youth Council Services, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2000
Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Harold Peiris Gallery,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
1998
Annual Art Exhibition, organized by The Ceylon Society of Arts, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1995
Art Exhibition, organized by The National Youth Council Services, Kandy, Sri Lanka
AWARDS 2006
Merit Award, Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2004 3rd Prize, Young Contemporaries, organized by The George Keyt Foundation, Colombo, Sri Lanka 2000 2nd Prize, Art Exhibition, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka 2000
Merit Award, National Youth Awards Festival, National Youth Council Services, Kandy, Sri Lanka
1995 1st Prize, Art Exhibition, organized by the National Youth Council Services, Kandy, Sri Lanka
2 ALFRED HOUSE ROAD, COLOMBO 3 TEL: 2582162, 2556563 EMAIL: art@paradiseroad.lk