At first glance the picture appears as an illusion of a photograph, and once the eyes fixate on the pencil/pen lines and expert brush strokes, the mind’s eye is intrigued. Whether it is a painting, a line drawing or even a mixture of both, each work of art is thought-provoking. As interest is peaked about the theme of the painting, the emotion flowing through each piece has a profound effect, especially on those who have traversed the quaint streets of Colombo.

Weerakodige Vasantha Perera has captured the soul of Sri Lanka’s capital city through his latest works of art, all of which have made their way to the pages of ‘Colombo – A Sketch Book’. After ‘Jaffna – A Sketch Book’ and ‘Kandy – A Sketch Book’, Vasantha Perera’s newest canvases reveal to the world Colombo through his own eyes, a reflection of his childhood and home. While intriguing everyone who lays eyes on the painting, for the city-dwellers these works are a journey through time.

Vasantha Perera reveals the city through his own memories in ‘Colombo – A Sketch Book’ Many of the locations he has painted have either been lost to modernity or have been dilapidated with time, while the quaint scenes of life are long-lost. Hence, Vasantha Perera hopes that the beautiful Colombo and lifestyle from his childhood memories will be preserved and appreciated by future generations through ‘Colombo – A Sketch Book’.