Art exhibition to be held in the future at the Nadee Art Gallery

An exhibition of paintings and installation of Lassantha Chandana Kumara is scheduled to be held at the newly referbished Nadee Art Gallery in April 2009. More information will be available about this event in the future.

Photography Exhibition Opens at Nadee Art Gallery

As final component of the photography workshops held since February 2008 by the Colombo Institute for the Advanced Study of Society and Culture (Colombo Institute) with Advanced Level Students from Dehiattakandiya, an exhibition of photogaphy opened at the Nadee Art Gallery. Colombo Institute has been supporting the referbishment of the Nadee Art Gallery as part of their committment to help develop regional art centers to upgrade the facilities and enviroment to support art and cultural activities. Nadee Art Gallery was established in 2007 with the effort of Nadee Art Group and the support of Theertha International Artists Collective converting a storage space used for fertilizer storing.

Update on NADEE Art Workshops 2008 for Regional Artists

Participated artists and organizers in the Nadee Art Workshop 2008



Top to bottom: Earth mound by Sunil and painting by Chinthaka.



Top to bottom: Bandara's work 'tire tracks on paddy', Masks by Perera and painting with grains on cloth as monument for mother by Podi Manike.



Top to bottom : Eranda's work, Supun's 'Bus Seat' and Lasantha's 'Balance Kudu'.



Top to bottom : Chinthaka at work, Champika's 'Sacks' , Ajith doing the final touches to his 'Glass Rock'.


Top to bottom : artists at work


Left to right: School children waiting to see exhibition


left to right: audience at the exhibition opening on 24th May at the Nadee Art Gallery, Dehiattakandiya

Nadee Art Workshop 2008 was successfully held from 15th to 24th May 2008. 15 artists representing different regional art groups in Sri Lanka and independent artists participated in the 10 day residential workshop making innovative and experimental artworks that were exhibited at the Nadee Art Gallery on 24th May. Around 200 people which consisted of large number of school children who are doing art as a subject and art teachers came to see the exhibition. This was the first time such a spectrum of art was seen by the Dehiattakandiya art enthusiasts. The workshop was supported primarily by Arts Network Asia (Singapore). Other financial contributions has been provided by Theertha International Artists Collective and ArtLab. Nadee Art Centre hope to continue the enthusiasm and innovation generated by this workshop by organizing other art exchange programs in the future.

NADEE Art Workshops 2008 for Regional Artists

Preparations for Nadee Art Workshop for regional artists are underway at Dehiattakandiya.

A regional art event is planned as a 10 day residential workshop for 15 visual artists who are engaged in art network activities in Sri Lanka. Nadee Art Workshop will be held at the art space in the Nadee Art Gallery in Dehiattakandiya.
Artists Supun Dissanayake, Rohana Delpitiya, K. M punchi menike, Mangala Manike and Lasantha Chandana Kumara are participating from Dehiattakandiya and A. M. Tilakaratne Bandara is taking part from Maha Oya area. The artists from regional art groups are Sanatha Kalubadana (Megha), Eranda Samarakoon (Bhumi), Ajith Alawattage (ArtLab), Chinthaka Uyangoda (Rala) , Champika Kapila Kumara ( Mini), Pala Pothupitiya ( Theertha) and Neranjal Gunasinghe (National Craft Council).

The Nadee Art Workshop was primarily envisaged to provide a forum for artists from the regional areas to take part in knowledge exchange as a way of stimulating their own art practices. It also recognizes the importance of regional art groups and artists working towards creating interest within their own communities by bring in art knowledge through art exchange programs with artists in Colombo and other regional areas. The residential art workshop will allow participating artists to live and work together in one site for 10 days producing art using locally available material and responding to the environment. The workshop will include art lectures, artists’ presentations, film screenings and discussions.

The art workshop will end with an on-site exhibition at the Nadee Art Gallery on 24^th May 2008.

“This project is supported by the ANA - Arts Network Asia (www.artsnetworkasia.org), a group of independent artists, cultural workers and arts activists primarily from Southeast Asia that encourages collaboration, initiated or sited in Asia and carried out together with Asian artists.”

The other sponsors are theertha International Artists Collective and ArtLab. The workshop is organized by Nadee Art Center

Visual Art workshop for Artists at Nadee Art Gallery in May 2008

Nadee has scheduled an art workshop specifically for the local artists who are engaging in art and art promotional activities in the regional areas such as Matara, Ratnapura, Aludeniya, Dehiattakandiya etc and Colombo. Nadee has been a partner of a regional network of artists who are based in these areas working to create enthusiasm and participation in the art activities in within their communities. The workshop is being organized to strengthen this network as well as to stimulate the creativity of artists through providing a space for experimentation and exchange of ideas with each other. The resident workshop will be held for 10 days. The scheduled dates are 15th to 25th May 2008. The workshop hopes to accommodate 16 artists and the final exhibition will be held on 24th May at the Nadee Art Gallery. The primary sponsor for the workshop is Arts Network Asia. Other sponsors are ArtLab and Theertha International Artists Collective.

Photography workshop and documentry film with Dehiattakandiya youth

Colombo Institute for the Advanced Study of Society and Culture (Colombo Institute) visited Nadee Art Center to collaborate on a program on photography workshop and documentary film to be made with the cooperation of youth. The program will provide photography training for selected youth where they will construct their story in the form of a photo essay. The program hope to select best photo stories that will be exhibited at the Nadee Art Gallery. The program focus on Youth anxieties and perceptions on living in Dehiattakandiya, a resettlement area under the government. The program will commence in March 2008.

Jagath Pathirage from Colombo Institute gave an introduction to the Photography Project. Dr Sasanka Perera introduced the Colombo Institute to the youth and Nadee members with a slide presentation.

Workshops for artists and art students.

Training Work for art students was held from 2 to 12 August 2007. 15 Art students from selected schools participated in the workshop where discussions on art history and art practical knowledge was given. In addition, Nadee Art Centre holds regular exhibition on art produced by children in Dehiattakandiya.

Nadee Art Gallery

Nadee Art Gallery opened in December 2007 in Dehiattakandiya. This is the first art space in the area . NAdee hope to bring innovative art exhibition from Colombo to show in the gallery as a way of building awareness among the public in Dehiattakandiya. Nadee Art Gallery hope to invite well known contemporary artists to exhibit in the future.

We are publishing the Nadee Arts newletter that contains information on art history and current news on art activities in Sri Lanka for the art readers in Dehiattakandiya. Nadee art newsletter can be received by writing to us. Our contact is:

Nadee Art Center
5 A/06/07, Nadee Art Center,
Lihiniyagama,
Dehiattakandiay

Maha Oya Art Teacher Training

5 workshops for art teacher to impart knowledge of contemporary art history of Sri Lanka and new trends as well as practical training of art making were held in the Maha Oya Zone and Dehiattakandiay areas in February, March, June, August and October 2007. The workshop had the participation of 42 teachers who are teaching art in schools.

Training Workshops for Art Teachers

Training workshops for art teachers : Nadee has been holding Art Teacher Training Workshops in Dehiattakandiya and the adjacent areas to bring new knowledge in art. The first such workshop was held by the Theertha International Artists' Collective in 2004 for 30 art teacher. Since then, Nadee has been continuing the programs in Dehiattakandiya and surrounding areas.

Nadee Art Center is a organization based in Dehiattakandiya, Sri Lanka that promote art activities in the community in and around Dehiattakandiya. Their main focus is to enhance art education and encourage artists to be innovative through bring in current art knowledge produced in the main art centres with Sri Lanka and the outside world to the local community. Another aim of Nadee is to link up with regional and national art networks, and so doing to end the alienation experienced by regional artists and students of art and to expand the art opportunities available to them.

Nadee Arts Center emerged out of the art activities linked to the teacher training project conducted by the Theertha International Artists collective in 2003. At present there are 15 members in the Nadee Arts Centre. Among them are artists, art teachers and art students.

Core Group of Nadee:

Lasantha Chandana Kumara (Artist/ Zonal Art Education Instructor)-Chairman
L. D. Senarathne ( Teacher in Literature)
R. M. Supun Dissanayake ( Artist)
H. A. Anil Kumara (Artist)
Hashan Bandara (Artist/ Art Teacher)
Ariyawansa Ratnayake (Art Teacher)