July 6, 2013, 5:21 pm
A Retrospective Exhibition of Tilak Samarawickrema Tapestries Produced by the Weavers of Talagune, Uda-Dumbara
Lionel Wendt Art Gallery,
Open to the public 12th July through 14th July 2013
by Chandramani Thenuwara
Thanks to our Patron Saint of Sinhala Arts and Crafts Ananda K. Coomaraswamy we knew about the traditional weaving village of Talagune in Uda-Dumbara.
Thanks also to the photographs ( black and white)in our only reference book until the late 20th century, MEDIEVAL SINHALESE ART(first published in 1908). We knew about the richness of the woven designs that is our particular heritage. This richness derives from the hundred per cent design coverage as seen in the most interesting items in our Museum Collections ,the Diyakacci woven in deep tones of maroon and blue on an unbleached off white ground fabric.
These weavers were known to the Ministry of Rural Industries, subsequently to the The Ministry of Textiles and Small Industries and to the government Craft Emporium- LAKSALA. Their creations were marketed through these government sales outlets and production struggled on at subsistence level-buying dyes and yarn from the money received
for items sold. Belief in themselves, in their special age old skills and love and respect for their craft sustained them. As destiny would have it, around this time Tilak Samarawickrema became an ILO Consultant to the National Design Centre. This imbued in him an abiding interest in the world of crafts.Subsequently, an assignment in Guatemala with UNICEF brought him in contact with cloth weavers-the Mayan Indian weavers. On his return, he naturally searched for the traditional Sri
Lankan weavers of Talagune. This crucial discovery makes Tilak Samarawickrema un-doubtedly one of the saviors of our precious hand weaving heritage.Tilak being a creative architect/ artist himself saw the potential in the skills of those weavers for interpreting his own designs to fabric, thus the Tilak Samarawickrema Tapestries were born.
However the versatile but laborious Dumbara Weaving Technique did not lend it self to Tilak's modernistic abstract patterns. Traditional patterning was largely built on repetitive design motifs and Tilak's abstract color patterns were tight compositions carefully balanced within the planned space- anything but repetitive.
These traditional weavers had to change their design mind sets well as device a different weaving technique in order to translate these abstract color compositions on to a woven fabric. This according to Tilak, they did with ease. This is a measure of their understanding of the age-old skills as well as their understanding of the technical potential of their loom to be able to cater a new request. Perhaps the fact that they were struggling financially may be have been a catalyst.
Now working in a modern idiom they discovered a new market- these tapestries easily integrate in to minimalist clean lines of today's architectural interiors. Europe and the USA responded with admiration and acceptance. MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art) Design Store, New York exhibited a collection. Subsequently two leading European Museums the German Textile Museum, Krefeld, held a two month personal exhibition of Tilak Samarawickrema Hand Woven Tapestries, and, later, the Norksform architecture and design Museum in Oslo held a retrospective exhibition of his work. During this period he continued to exhibit and market his work through design stores in Italy, Germany and Brussels.
Most recently, he held an extremely successful exhibition in the home of the Masters of Craft- India, at the Gallery Art Motif, New Delhi which evoked widespread media coverage about WOVEN ART from Sri Lanka.
A major retrospective exhibition is to be held from 12-14 July 2013 (10am-8pm daily) at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. The preview of exhibition will be held on 11th July 6.30 pm. Guest of honor Dr.Jurgen Morhard, Ambassador of The Federal Republic of Germany.
This is a very important exhibition as it will bring an awareness of his work to Sri Lanka. This surely will result in inspiring young artists and designers graduating in large numbers from our universities and design colleges. This exhibition will define the major contribution that Tilak Samarawickrema has made to Sri Lankan Design.
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