ARTRA Magazine

09/12/2023

Tis the season to be jolly!

For your loved ones, near and dear, gift them art to immerse and peruse. For your custom ARTRA Packs, call on +94775701891 for local & international delivery.

07/12/2023

“Good architecture does not have to be expensive (and conversely expensive architecture is often bad). Building is like cookery: different cooks employing the same ingredients can produce magic or mess.”

The architectural works of C.Anjalendran exhibits its own special qualities – a clarity of purpose and directness, a preoccupation with the social implications of spatial hierarchies, a concern for economy, an exploitation of colour and surface texture and an instinctive commitment to low-energy design.

Read full article ‘More from Less’ on The Architecture of C. Anjalendran by David Robson on https://www.artra.lk/applied-art/architecture-of-anjalendran-edition-more-from-less

For your print copy of ARTRA Magazine’s Architecture of Anjalendran Edition and those of the past published since 2012 call +9477 570 1891.

05/12/2023

Watch the full episode on Daily ARTRA’s where Architect Sunela Jayewardene shares her take on environmental design, and its importance in today’s context with relation to approaching architecture & design on Daily ARTRA’s Design Series in partnership with Dulux featuring Jetwing Vil Uyana.

Dulux Let's Colour

03/12/2023

Read the full interview ‘Personification and Poignancy’ with Gihan de Chickera for ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition on www.artra.lk/visual-art.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Interview with Gihan de Chickera

01/12/2023

Barbara’s personal touch to conveying wit, skill and affection through birthday cards, invitations and bedtime stories for Dominic and Simon, Dominic’s brother reflect her creative contemplation beyond her professional pursuits. “There is a watercolour of the temple at Embekke which is a favourite, and a birthday card she made for me many moons ago”shared Dominic.

Read full article ‘Delving into the Artistic Mind’ by Dominic Sansoni on https://www.artra.lk/visual-art/barbara-sansoni-edition-delving-into-the-artistic-mind

For your print copy of ARTRA Magazine’s Barbara Sansoni Edition and those of the past published since 2012 call +9477 570 1891.

‘If You Are A Very Good Girl...’, van Elephant Cartoon

BAREFOOT Barefoot Gallery

28/11/2023

The beauteous dame who evoked the admiration of many artists and people alike, Yvonne Gulamhusein was a fashion icon and trendsetter of her day. A decorously charming socialite, Yvonne orbited high social circles not only within Sri Lanka but also internationally— from mingling with local Ministers to dignitaries such as the Queen, the Aga Khan and US President Nixon— she travelled the world and represented an alluring blend of Eastern and Western fashion among a myriad of reputed events of the time such as the Royal Ascot Races in the UK.

To glimpse Aubrey Collette and Bevis Bawa’s famed caricatures of Yvonne Gulamhusein, and their other cartoons of prominent social figures of the times, go through ARTRA’s Comics & Caricatures Edition which features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Gihan de Chickera, Bevis Bawa, and Aubrey Collette published and exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us at +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

26/11/2023

“Attributing human characteristics to non-human objects or animals is integral to cartooning. It’s what makes a cartoon distinct from other art forms. Such personifications can add to the humour, or poignancy of a cartoon. It’s also a way of reminding ourselves that humans don’t always have to be the centre of attention.” - Gihan de Chickera

Await full article ‘Personification and Personification’ of ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition on www.artra.lk/visual-art

For your copy/copies of Comics & Caricatures Edition call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Gihan de Chickera, 2023, Untitled [Cartoon]. Daily Mirror, 4 September

25/11/2023

The term ‘memory-keeper’ may be unfamiliar as a cultural symbol, but it is one that is emblematic of the feminine role in most communities. It is an identity that characterizes a woman who passes down culture onto future generations, ‘keeping’ the nation’s legacy and maintaining its traditions. In her works, visual artist and academic writer, Anoli Perera then employs the analogies of floral work to represent femininity, and their occupations as ‘memory keepers’. Thus, we observe Anoli’s works subverting flowers in the environment of gendered categories, identifying communities and culture and additionally, addressing the colonial legacy of the nation through floral emblems.

Read full article ‘Florescent Memorabilia’ on https://www.artra.lk/visual-art/florescent-memorabilia

For your digital copy of ARTRA Magazine’s Subverted Flowers Edition visit https://www.artra.lk/subscribe/magazine/2021/e61

Anoli Perera, Silent Sitters, Staging of a Memory, 2014

22/11/2023

“For Laki, however, art was not a struggle – it was a source of delight. Like his near contemporary, David Hockney, Laki enjoyed simply making and creating; he enjoyed exercising his considerable talents and experimenting with a variety of themes and different media. He enjoyed giving pleasure to others and he celebrated beauty – especially the beauty of the natural world.”

Read full article ‘Laki’s Portrait’ by David Robson together with C. Anjalendran on https://www.artra.lk/visual-art/laki-senanayake-edition-lakis-portrait.

For your print copy of ARTRA Magazine’s Works of Laki Senanayake Edition and those of the past published since 2012 call +9477 570 1891.

Laki Senanayake, 1998, Winking Owl, Michael Meyler Collection, Colombo

19/11/2023

Read the main article ‘The Potency of Satire by Editor-in-Chief, Azara Jaleel for ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition on www.artra.lk/visual-art.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Bevis Bawa Gihan de Chickera

Azara Jaleel

18/11/2023

Wielding bold visual metaphor with a tenacious wit and social consciousness that brings to mind George Orwell’s iconic ‘Animal Farm’, Gihan de Chickera’s collection of profound contemporary cartoons cuts to the bleak heart of Sri Lanka’s socio-political discourses. His thought-provoking works highlight his evocative use of animal iconography to parallel and critique relevant worldly discourses, such as the dichotomy of reverence and abuse dealt to elephants in Sri Lanka. Spread throughout the Comics & Caricatures Edition, de Chickera tackles a fascinating variety of perspectives and delves into topics such as anthropomorphism, feminism, economic downfall, and corruption, for a diverse and satirically rich artistic experience.

To glimpse Gihan de Chickera’s famed Elephant cartoon, and other profoundly critical political cartoons go through ARTRA’s Comics & Caricatures Edition which features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by de Chickera, Bevis Bawa, and Aubrey Collette published and exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us at +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Gihan de Chickera, 2023 , Untitled [Cartoon]. Daily Mirror, 04 July

16/11/2023

“From Keyt’s spiritual eroticism to Daraniyagala’s dark chaos mingled with divinely faces, expounded further by Gabriel’s picturesque yet fearsome visuals highlight the ‘43 Group’s ability to collectively present the complexities, within the seemingly straightforward.”

The visceral narrative of ARTRA Magazine’s ‘43 Group Edition includes over 60 works of art by the collective, reflecting the spiritedness of the artists and their artistic chemistry.

For your print copy of ARTRA Magazine’s Modernist Works of the ‘43 Group Edition and those of the past published since 2012 call +9477 570 1891.

George Keyt, Sapumal Foundation Collection

14/11/2023

“The principle attribute of the works of featured artists on ARTRA’S Comics & Caricatures Edition; Gihan de Chickera, Bevis Bawa and Aubrey Collette is satire, wherein through inventive use of of innuendo, visual metaphors, anthropomorphism, pure wit and sarcasm, critique insufficiencies of human behavior and the societal issues which result from them, in such a way that they become ludicrous, even comical.”

Await full article ‘The Potency of Satire in Comics & Caricatures’ by Azara Jaleel on www.artra.lk/visual-art

For your copy/copies of Comics & Caricatures Edition call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Aubrey Collette, Unknown, D. S. Senanayake, Malaka Talwatte Collection
Bevis Bawa, Unknown, L.T.P. Manjusri, Sapumal Foundation Collection
Gihan de Chickera, 2022, Untitled [Cartoon]. Daily Mirror, 28 December

11/11/2023

Launch of ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition & Art Experiential Festival | Bawa Brothers took place from the 13th to 15th of October at Brief Garden by Bevis Bawa & Cinnamon Bentota Beach. It served a dynamic and exciting line-up of programs across its three-day run, having featured a series of art tours, art exhibits, and art talks by some of the most prolific and influential figures in Sri Lanka’s Art, Architecture & Creative industries including Cresside Collette, C. Anjalendran, Gihan de Chickera, Chevaan Daniel, Dooland de Silva, Priscilla Caren, Juliet Coombe, Rachel Porquet-Chanmugam, Herman Gunaratne, Rohan de Soysa and Ismeth Raheem.

ARTRA Magazines’s ‘Comics & Caricatures’, endeavours to explore the potential caricatures and cartoons have as an accessible alternative to traditional journalistic writing, and their potency in addressing critical socio-political issues. Featuring over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively of Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa, and Gihan de Chickera, ‘Comics & Caricatures’ is a curated collection consisting of works published and exhibited from 1946 to September 2023. ARTRA’s ‘Comics and Caricatures’ presents a succinct microcosm of humour’s indispensable contribution to contemporary art in Sri Lanka, as well as its brimming potential to continue to shape the country’s artistic future.

We sincerely thank the support of our partners, namely the iconic Brief Garden by Bevis Bawa, our Heritage Partner, French Embassy for Sri Lanka & Maldives, Nations Trust Bank Private Banking, our Exclusive Banking Partner, Cinnamon Bentota Beach, our Exclusive Hospitality Partner, the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau, our Art Tourism Partner, Daily Mirror, The Sunday Times, and Daily FT Sri Lanka of Wijeya Newspapers, our Exclusive Print Media Partners and MTV, Newsfirst.lk, Legends, and Yes FM of The Capital Maharaja Group, Exclusive TV & Radio Partners.

For your copy/copies of ARTRA’s ‘Comics and Caricatures’ call us at +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

09/11/2023

To glimpse Aubrey Collette’s famed caricatures of the ‘7 Prime Ministers Series’, of notable political figures, whom he critiqued as an outspoken political satirist in the matters of language and educational policies is spread across ARTRA Magazine’s Latest Edition, Comics & Caricatures. The cartoon drawings were frequently used by the artist as a means to communicate the dissonance between the actions of the state and the views of the people.

In his famed ‘7 Prime Ministers Series’ Collette renders caricatures of Sri Lanka’s former Prime Ministers, including D.S. Senanayake who was the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, serving from 1947 to 1952, his son Dudley Senanayake succeeded him as the second Prime Minister until 1953, when Sir John Kotelawala became the third Prime Minister, serving from 1953 to 1956. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was the fourth Prime Minister, he served from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. Succeeding him was Wijeyananda Dahanayake who served from 1959 to 1960. Sirimavo Bandaranaike served from 1960 to 1965, serving as the world’s first female prime minister. J.R. Jayawardene was the 7th Prime Minister, serving from 1977 to 1978.

For your copy/copies call us at +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

07/11/2023

Reflecting the present predicament of Sri Lanka in all honesty, are the works of Gihan de Chickera that swiftly slay the truth of the day with a sharp-edged knife, in an allegorical fashion. His clever use of animals represents human traits that critique the world we live in impeccably.

ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Gihan de Chickera, Bevis Bawa and Aubrey Collette, published or exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

05/11/2023

Chose your own collection of art for your table tops, from ARTRA Magazine editions on ‘43 Group, Lionel Wendt, Barbara Sansoni, Laki Senanayake, C.Anjalendran, ARTRA’s latest Comics & Caricatures Edition and more. Call +9477 570 1891 for queries and delivery arrangements.

04/11/2023

“The ‘43 Group caricaturist Aubrey Collette’s works are of prominent political and social figures of the early to mid-1900’s of Ceylon/ Sri Lanka. His caricatures present witty commentaries of the foibles of the depicted personality, sometimes ceaseless vanities or perhaps idiosyncrasies that sum up one’s life mission with swift lines in effortless accuracy. The first few opening spreads of the magazine begin with the colored prints of his popular works of the ‘Seven Prime Ministers Series’ since 1948, juxtaposed with eminent scholars and intelligentsia of the times including Tarzie Vittachi, the internationally renowned journalist who was the youngest editor of the oldest newspaper in Asia.”

ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa and Gihan de Chickera, published or exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

03/11/2023

Read full article ‘Bawa of Brief’ by David Robson for ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures Edition on www.artra.lk/visual-art.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Photograph taken by Rohan de Soysa at Brief Garden.

by David Robson

02/11/2023

Get your digital copy of ARTRA Magazine’s latest edition, Comics & Caricatures e65 and those of the past published since 2012 on https://www.artra.lk/subscribe/magazine/2023/e65

01/11/2023

Bevis Bawa was a renowned natural landscape architect and artist credited in inspiring his brother Geoffrey Bawa’s design and gardens. Born to stand out, Bawa’s expansive social circle which grew to include European royalty and legions of local and international writers and artists, was matched only by his benign creativity and towering stature. At 6 foot 7 inches, Bawa was viewed as a gentle giant, a true Ceylonese gentleman who had sculpted expressive gardens across his lifetime, none as significant as his magnum opus Brief Garden, at Bentota, which was cultivated from 1929, and opened to the public in 1969.

To glimpse Bevis Bawa’s famed caricature of himself, and other venerated artistic contemporaries go through ARTRA’s Comics & Caricatures Edition which features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa and Gihan de Chickera published and exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery

29/10/2023

Get your copy at Paradise Road Sri Lanka & Paradise Road The Gallery Café

27/10/2023

ARTRA Magazine launched its highly anticipated Comics & Caricatures edition at Brief Garden to close out Day 2 of the Arts Experiential Festival in extravagant fashion. Azara Jaleel, Editor-in-Chief of ARTRA Magazine sat down with Cresside Collette, contemporary artist and daughter of Aubrey Collette, Dooland de Silva, owner of Brief Garden and Rohan de Soysa, Chairman of the Sapumal Foundation, in a lively and insightful conversation about the curation and creation of the latest magazine.

ARTRA was honoured to host the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung and her family during the launch. Guests were privy to the arduous and passionate research process that went into the Comics & Caricatures edition, and the elaborate vision Jaleel harboured regarding the cartoon and caricature works collected from Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa and Gihan de Chickera. Afterwards, they were served canapes and cocktails to accompany intriguing post-talk chatter with fellow guests and speakers alike.

ARTRA Magazine's Comics & Caricatures Edition features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa and Gihan de Chickera, published or exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

27/10/2023

“Delini Raheem tells of the time when she and her mother bumped into Bevis Bawa in the Samudra Restaurant on Galle Face and her mother introduced him as ‘Geoffrey’s brother’. Bevis towered over them and bowed with a sad smile: “Madam, in those days people used to refer to Geoffrey as my brother; how times have changed!”

Bevis was ten years older and two inches taller than Geoffrey, but in later life his star was eclipsed by his younger brother’s glittering success as an architect. Even his exquisite garden at Brief eventually ceded pole position to Geoffrey’s more ambitious garden on the other side of the Bentota River at Lunuganga.

The two brothers were born in Colombo in 1909 and 1919 respectively. Their father was Benjamin Bawa, a successful and wealthy lawyer of mixed Moorish and British descent; their mother was Bertha Marion Campbell Schrader, a Dutch Burgher.”

Await full article ‘The Bawa of Brief’ by David Robson on www.artra.lk/visual-art

For your copy/copies of Comics & Caricatures Edition call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Image Courtesy | The photographer of Brief Garden by Bevis Bawa

26/10/2023

E. W. M. Joseph, otherwise known by his pseudonym Sooty Banda was a famed journalist, playwright, and satirist who presided within an era of Sri Lankan English journalism commonly attributed as the golden age. Wielding his wit with the precision and delicacy of a scalpel, Joseph critiqued through his humour as a columnist for “Take It Easy” in the Sunday Times of Ceylon, and “Think It Over” in the Sunday edition of the Ceylon Observer. As a playwright, he has created a plethora of classically-revered plays such as “Well, Mudaliyar”, “The Dictator”, and “The Return of Ralahamy” among others, in collaboration with his venerated contemporary H.C.N. de Lanerolle in the 1930s and ‘40s.

To glimpse Aubrey Collette’s famed caricature of E.M.W. Joseph, and other venerated artistic contemporaries go through ARTRA’s Comics & Caricatures Edition which features over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively by Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa, and Gihan de Chickera published and exhibited from 1946 to September 2023.

For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

23/10/2023

Featuring over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively of Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa & Gihan de Chickera, this curated collection of ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures edition consists of works published or exhibited from 1946 to September 2023. Each work was selected upon its importance in addressing and dissecting a critical question of the time in exquisite draughtsmanship and creative prowess alongside distinctive caricatures that reflect poignant representations of those depicted.

You may now get your copy from BAREFOOT, Colombo & Galle, Paradise Road Sri Lanka, Colombo 07, Paradise Road The Gallery Café, Colombo 03, Rithihi, Colombo 03, PR, Colombo 07, Good Market Lanka, Colombo 07, The Design Collective, Colombo 05, Aashkii, Colombo 07, Sarasavi Bookshop, Nugegoda, Brief Garden by Bevis Bawa, Beruwala, Wild & Sage, Unawatuna, Barefoot, Galle & the ARTRA office at the 12th floor, Parkland, Park Street, Colombo 02 ( Mon - Fri | 9am - 5pm with prior appointments). For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Bevis Bawa, Year Unknown, Yvonne Gulamhusein, Sapumal Foundation Collection
Aubrey Collette, Unknown, D. S. Senanayake, Malaka Talwatte Collection
Gihan de Chickera, 2018 , Untitled [Cartoon]. Daily Mirror, 22 January

23/10/2023

Featuring over 60 caricatures and cartoon drawings collectively of Aubrey Collette, Bevis Bawa & Gihan de Chickera, this curated collection of ARTRA Magazine’s Comics & Caricatures edition consists of works published or exhibited from 1946 to September 2023. Each work was selected upon its importance in addressing and dissecting a critical question of the time in exquisite draughtsmanship and creative prowess alongside distinctive caricatures that reflect poignant representations of those depicted.

You may now get your copy from Barefoot, Colombo & Galle, Paradise Road, Colombo 07, Gallery Café, Colombo 03, Rithihi, Colombo 03, PR, Colombo 07, Good Market, Colombo 07, Design Collective, Colombo 05, Aaashkii, Colombo 07, Sarasavi Bookshop, Nugegoda, Brief Garden by Bevis Bawa, Beruwala, Wild & Sage, Unawatuna, Barefoot, Galle & the ARTRA office at the 12th floor, Parkland, Park Street, Colombo 02 ( Mon - Fri | 9am - 5pm with prior appointments). For your copy/copies call us on +94 77 570 1891 for local/international delivery.

Bevis Bawa, Year Unknown, Yvonne Gulamhusein, Sapumal Foundation Collection
Aubrey Collette, Unknown, D. S. Senanayake, Malaka Talwatte Collection
Gihan de Chickera, 2018 , Untitled [Cartoon]. Daily Mirror, 22 January

17/10/2023

Got your copy of the latest edition of ARTRA’s Comics & Caricatures Edition at Wild & the Sage, Down South?

15/10/2023

Reputed sound alchemist Rachel Chanmugam leads participants on an experiential journey combining Art and Sound using mindful guidance, several healing instruments, and a selection of exclusive artworks exhibited at Cinnamon Bentota Beach during Day 3 of ARTRA's Art Experiential Festival.