Vimalasari Deni: Family

Family

1950's

Oil on canvas

47.8 x 65 cm

Received in 1958 from the Board of Art Exhibitions and Panoramas attached to the USSR Ministry of Culture, Moscow.

Vimalasari Deni was one of the most active participants of the Jataka Kala Peramuna movement, whose aim was to revive ancient artistic traditions in contemporary art. The artist's works present a wide panorama of the contemporary life of his country and its people and give a vivid picture of its exuberant nature.

The picture Family has a somewhat unusual compositional arrangement: each figure emerges from behind another, and the three of them form a monolithic group. The artist manages to create highly expressive images of common people; their figures impress us with their calm dignity and strength. The woman is treated with particular care: the artist evidently admires her almond-shaped eyes and her slender figure. The picture conveys the idea of Man's harmonious union with nature. The figures are placed against a background of large banana leaves. The expressive linear treatment and the restrained palette endow the picture with poetic charm.