“It’s not about the medium; it’s about what we are trying to communicate through our work” - Pala Pothupitiye

 

 

Born in Deniyaya, Pala Pothupitiye is one of the most prolific artists in our country. He hails from a long line of traditional low country dancers. A vital feature of this ritualistic practice is the use of costume and mask. Since childhood together with his father, Pala has actively engaged in designing and creating these implements. Unsurprisingly this has been the base of some of his early work.

“The demarcation between art and crafts is a western thought. The conceptual value given to crafts was negligible” Explains Pala. His Ancestral Dress artworks are a collection of headdresses adorned by dancers of low country ritual not only makes this rule obsolete, but also interprets traditional in a modern sense.

Here he gauges identity through lineage and tradition. The materials that he used were various kinds of rustics or ‘junk’ as he himself claims. Reminiscing about this period he humorously relates how he was once reprimanded by the police for picking bits and pieces near a check point.

Gradually through the years his work has moved from the social-cultural context and has taken a more geopolitical stance.  Constantly aware of state affairs he seriously says “We can’t claim to be a developing country; we are still in construction”. He strongly feels that recent racial clashes are politically motivated. “After a person has gotten power they tend to forget basic human values. That is norm”

“Mapping” he believes is a colonial relic, a method which is used by those in power to measure those who aren’t.  He construes the civil war to be a clash between aristocrats from the north and south that was ultimately endured by the common man.

 

His critically acclaimed series of ‘Maps’ of different regions of the country digitally enhanced, printed and appropriated; reflects this and his contemplation on patriotism, land and ownership.  In 2010 his ‘Jaffna Map’ earned him the prestigious Sovereign prize. He is the first and only Sri Lankan to win this accolade.

“My style has changed over the years” confirms Pala. A force that is evident in his work is the knowledge he acquired from his expedition to Pakistan. “I learnt miniature art tradition from the artisans there. A lot of that technique is visible in the details of my work. There I also learnt jewellery design and metal work techniques as well”.

He further states that he is most often satisfied with his work and it makes him happy.  However before starting a project he would conceptualize and analyze for weeks.  “It’s an inevitable part of my creative process”.

 

  

 

Speaking about his upbringing; “My parents always encouraged me, even when I was a child just drawing on the wall. They never complained or scolded me. But when I was a kid I didn’t think I would be an artist. It’s a decision I took when I picked art as an A/Level subject”.

Humbly, he credits all his achievement to his mentor, Artist Jagath Weerasinghe. “It is his teaching and practices that has made me what I am today”. Pala also endorses the works of Theertha – the International Artists Collective which he has been part of since its inception and acknowledges them for continuously inspiring him.

 

 

“There are numerous challenges that art in Sri Lanka faces. One is that there aren’t any qualified Art Critics. The other is the conduct in Local Art Schools. In these Schools, Art should be taught by practicing artists as it is abroad. Also there should be a rule as to not permit undergraduate students from participating in grandiose solo exhibitions. This naturally inflates young artists’ egos by prematurely titling them as professional artists. To be a professional artist knowledge and experience is key.” 

 

 

He continues further “I don’t understand the function of some galleries here. You can’t even paste a sticker on a wall. They treat the place like a shrine. When we were exhibiting in Stockholm they permitted the artists to even puncture the walls. 

“I never target exhibition dates and prepare for them. Then you become a commercial object” explains Pala with regards to impending plans. Currently his attention has been diverted by a modest sized art school that he along with artists Aruna Vidanaarachchi and Godwin Constantine has initiated “We have around seven selected students, usually those who have been ostracized for not performing well in their main subjects. We teach them and supply material through our own resources. It’s something I never had when I was a child.”

 

 

Outwardly Pala is soft spoken and mild in his mannerisms, nevertheless his work has always evoked the opposite. To the ordinary viewer it’s powerful, provoking and perpetual.  Helplessly he expresses “I can’t describe myself. Those around me have called me a ‘multi disciplinary artist, political artist, senior artist, visual artist… but I can’t think on those lines. I am only an artist”

 

For more information: http://palapothupitiye.blogspot.com/

 

By Shazzana Hamid