Art, War and Politics in Sri Lanka: An interview with Jagath Weerasinghe Part 01

Name : Jagath Weerasinghe
Born On : 1954
Born In : Sri Lanka
Education : 1981 - Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
1990 - Master of Fine Arts, The American University, Washington DC, USA Trained in the conservation of Mural Painting and Rock Art at the Central
Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka; the ICCROM, Rome, Italy and the Getty Conservation Institute , Los Angeles, USA.
Academic : Currently Senior Lecturer in Art History, Archaeology and Conservation at the
Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya.

The bleeding heart at the centre of the painting is important to my story, even through it is at odds with its modernist construction Jagath Weerasinghe, Sunday Observer, November 22 ,1992.

Jagath Weerasinghe is one of Sri Lanka best known and most influential artists (see bio here). He was commissioned by the Sri Lankan government to design the monument Shrine for the Innocent as a remembrance for the innocent victims of the ruthless violence that the southern part of the country experienced in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was completed in 1999.

Jagath and I talked about art and politics, how for example the experience of witnessing the Tamil pogrom in July 1983 and being abducted in the late 70s shaped his political consciousness and in turn influenced his creative output. We also talked about Sri Lankan art more generally - about new painters, the potential for art in post-war Sri Lanka and the Colombo Art Biennale, slated to be held later this year.

Jagath and I talked about art and politics, how for example the experience of witnessing the Tamil pogrom in July 1983 and being abducted in the late 70s shaped his political consciousness and in turn influenced his creative output. We also talked about Sri Lankan art more generally - about new painters, the potential for art in post-war Sri Lanka and the Colombo Art Biennale, slated to be held later this year.
of the National Peace Council. Jehan is also a columnist for the Daily Mirror and the Lanka Monthly Digest in Colombo. He holds a Doctor of Law degree from Harvard Law School and a BA in economics from Harvard College.

Based on his significant experience as a civil society activist, I asked Jehan whether NGOs in particular had fostered any appreciable difference in the quality of governance in Sri Lanka. Jehan stated that after a quarter century of working in civil society, he was acutely aware how little impact it had in shaping the political agenda in Sri Lanka and could in no way compare with the power and reach of a politician or political party.

Jehan noted that the fundamental issue was for Sri Lankas continued strife was the confusion of majority rule with democracy. Agreeing that while the LTTE is close to defeat militarily, he also stressed the need to address the underlying causes of what gave rise to the LTTE. Without this he noted, combined with support from sections of the Tamil diaspora and the continuing grievances of the Tamil people, the LTTE could retain a presence in the country and act as a spoiler to any peace and developmental process.

Jehan spoke about the challenges of peacebuilding in a context of war and violence, the power of NGOs to shape the political and peace agenda, possible scenarios after the military defeat of the LTTE, his hope for the growth of dissent, the chances of legitimate Tamil grievances being addressed and the need for a united Sri Lanka that recognises the right to self-determination.


Interviewer : Sanjana Hattotuwa (Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Alternatives)

Source : GroundView

Bio from Jagath Weerasinghe : http://bayvon.com/artists/bvjw026.asp

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