OUR OBJECTIVES

This professional organization, incorporated under the Government of Canada, will :

*conceive, design and develop a thematic program of exhibitions and audio visual presentations on ancient paintings in countries in the Southern Asian region, by means of research, field investigations and consultations;

*the focus will be on highlighting those qualities of paintings that make them artistically appealing, aesthetically pleasing, visually enthralling, spiritually inspiring and thematically most expressive and meaningful.

*generate photographic reproductions of ancient paintings and develop them as exhibits by enlarging, laminating and mounting;

*compile explanatory annotations to accompany exhibits, including brochures, flyers and other publications;

*organize and hold exhibitions for Canadians and the international community, to see, learn, appreciate and be inspired by a rich visual cultural heritage and to have the opportunity for intercultural dialogue and appreciation;

*highlight the exquisite ancient paintings of the World Heritage Sites of Southern Asia which the UNESCO considers as masterpieces of human creative genius and the common cultural heritage of the entire global community;

*provide the opportunity to stimulate a sense of pleasure and discovery, and an aesthetic challenge leading to greater cultural awareness and discernment and increased interest in the conservation of this remarkable cultural heritage;

*design and produce documentary films highlighting the outstanding qualities of historic paintings inspired by Buddhist thought.

*develop and conduct audio-visual presentations, video and slide shows, seminars and talks, and thematic websites on selected topics/themes, pertaining to the paintings;

*hold its collections for future generations assuming conservation as a primary responsibility requiring constant attention.

The Path We Tread

This Canadian Forum serves as a resource for those already familiar with Sri Lankan Buddhist art and for those interested in learning more on this aspect of Sri Lanka's cultural heritage. Through exhibitions, audio-visual presentations, research and publications, the Forum documents and interprets its own collections. It provides information and perspectives on Buddhist art of Sri Lanka through time and throughout the country. The Forum aims for the highest standards of quality in all its endeavors.

Exhibitions that we present are places in which people could see and learn. They stimulate its visitors a sense of pleasure, pride and discovery which provides aesthetic challenge and leads to a greater cultural awareness and discernment. The Forum educates artists of the future through its programs. The Forum’s ultimate aim is to encourage inquiry and to heighten public understanding and appreciation of Sri Lanka’s visual world of Buddhist culture.

The Forum holds its collections for future generations. It assumes conservation as a primary responsibility which requires constant attention to providing a proper environment for these works of art. Committed to its vast holdings, the Forum nonetheless recognizes the need to identify and explore new and neglected areas of Buddhist art. It seeks to acquire art of the past and present which is visually significant and educationally meaningful.

We will be developing several other projects focused on reviving, improving and promoting the tangible and intangible aspects of Sinhela cultural heritage. Safeguarding Sri Lanka's heritage must be triggered by individual initiative and backed by associations, by specialists and by institutions, including international organizations.

Bringing about increased awareness of the richness of Sri Lanka's cultural heritage and thereby generating greater interest in conserving and promoting it, are our fundamental goals.

Based on a series of themes, we have developed a comprehensive programme of exhibitions presenting the rich and fascinating anthology of Sinhela Buddhist paintings of Sri Lanka, from ancient to modern times, including ancient secular paintings.

Selected paintings are presented in the form of large-size photographic reproductions with explanatory annotations. Slide and video shows and talks with illustrations are other elements of the programme. Some display modules are focused on specific audiences and groups such as children.

A series of guided excursions to selected sites in Sri Lanka to provide first hand experience of ancient paintings, also form an essential element of the programme.

PAINTINGS OF SRI LANKA : PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES

Traveling Exhibition Service (TES) is a unique professional organization of Canada offering a comprehensive programme of exhibitions of photographic images of ancient paintings of South Asia. As its initial venture, TES has developed a program of exhibitions of paintings found in the many historic sites of Sri Lanka, including the sites designated by the UNESCO as “World Heritage Sites”. The focus is on masterpieces of paintings which elicit vividly the richness of imagination, creativity, aesthetic sense and inspiration of Sri Lankan artists of past and present. Accompanying the exhibits are narrative scripts introducing the paintings and a historic overview of the sites where the paintings are found.

Our exhibitions help to bring about increased awareness of the richness of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. We are responsible for the overall concept, design, production of photographs, preparation of exhibits and the presentation and management of the Exhibition programme.

Our exhibitions provide congenial settings or forums, for Sri Lankans to interact with the international community in view of enhancing the positive aspects of the country’s international image.

These Exhibitions provide opportunities for those interested in art and art history, and for creative artists, to enjoy and draw inspiration from an array of art work that are of great aesthetic appeal. They are opportunities for art enthusiasts to interact and share observations and feelings on Sri Lankan art.

Inevitably, these events are of particular interest to people of Sri Lankan origin. They are exciting experiences for the younger generation of Sri Lankans anywhere in the world, providing them with a glimpse to a fascinating aspect of their cultural heritage.

Among the more recent exhibitions we held in Canada, is the one held at the prestigious Scarborough Civic Centre Gallery in July 2004. In the summer of 2003 an exhibition in a big scale at the Toronto City Hall. Two Exhibitions held in Montreal, Quebec in early November 2003 and February 2004. The Chief Guest of the 2004 Toronto Exhibition was Honorable Senator and the Pro Chancellor of the University of Toronto Dr Vivienne Poy. All exhibitions were well received and the media reviews have been most encouraging.

The Toronto exhibition included a selection of 350 enlarged and mounted photographs from sixty-two historic sites, including the five World Heritage Sites - Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Mahanuwara (Kandy). These paintings represent a period that exceeds 2200 years, from 3rd Century BC to the 21st Century.

What was presented at the Toronto Exhibition was an assortment of outstanding paintings of well known and many less well-known sites scattered across the country. Most sites are ‘Raja Maha Viharas’ or Buddhist temples established by Sri Lankan kings, or which received Royal patronage in ancient times. A sample of the fascinating vihara paintings of the twentieth century was also exhibited.

Included were paintings found on ancient cave and rock surfaces, walls, ceilings, doors, wooden surfaces and on textiles of Buddhist shrines and other historic sites. Some paintings of cave temples are over 2200 years old and some more than a 1000 years. Most of the earliest paintings are found in a fragmentary form. The UNESCO has identified 1037 shrines with paintings which are more than 100 years old.

Paintings are reflective of the variation in art styles, approaches to paintings and traditions of art, in the past. Some characteristics of these paintings that are of great appeal to many are the colour choice and coordination, the intricate nature of line and brush work, the elaborate designs, patterns and exquisite motifs used for decorative purposes, and the fascinating symbolism adopted effectively to provide greater meaning and depth to paintings.

Most ancient paintings and works of art are known to generate inner calm, and evoke serene joy and emotion. They transcend artistic and aesthetic appreciation and appeal, to something higher and deeper. Engrossed in classical Sri Lankan paintings, one finds that they tend to enter one’s inner-self, transforming one’s mind to a state of innocence, compassion, serene joy and peacefulness.

We believe that promoting Sri Lanka and helping to conserve its rich cultural heritage, must be triggered by individual initiative and backed by Sri Lankan and international organizations and institutions. We invite you and  your organization to join us in this useful venture by hosting one of our exhibitions.