Walimuni Solias Mendis (June 17, 1897 – September 1, 1975) was a renowned Sri Lankan artist primarily known for his
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temple paintings, accomplished in a neo-classical style.
A native of Mahawewa,
Madampe
Madampe is a town situated in the Puttalam District, of North Western Province, Sri Lanka.
Madampe is a town with historical importance which was ruled by king Thaniwallbha according to the history. There are two areas: Old town and New town w ...
in Sri Lanka, second of seven boys in the family, Mendis was intended by his parents to become an
Ayurveda
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...
Physician, but he was drawn to art.
In his early years, he worked and trained alongside his uncle Memonis Silva, himself a master painter.
Once accomplished himself, he began painting murals in Buddhist temples.
Later such as Rannasgalla Vihara and Maddepola Vihara.The Buddhist monks and devotees who saw magnificent style decided to call him to paint in
Kelani Vihara. In order to increase his skills Mendis visited India to examine the works of
Ajanta Caves
The Ajanta Caves are approximately thirty rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures des ...
,
Ellora Caves
Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 m ...
,
Bagh Caves
The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dhar t ...
and
Sarnath
Sarnath (Hindustani pronunciation: aːɾnaːtʰ also referred to as Sarangnath, Isipatana, Rishipattana, Migadaya, or Mrigadava) is a place located northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pr ...
, which inspired him to mingle the techniques of Indian
Buddhist art
Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism. It includes depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, and ...
with the traditions of
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
classical art, eschewing the then prevalent European traditions.
At around the age of 30, he undertook a twenty-year project to complete the Kelaniya Vihara murals. His style was unique, from graceful brush strokes to perspective.
References
External links
A Genius Of Art Solias MendisWall Paintings in Kaleniya Temple by Solias Mendis
Gallery of Solias Mendis paintings at Kelaniya
1897 births
1975 deaths
20th-century Sri Lankan painters
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