Original artwork description:

“Bayila” is an acrylic painting on a black gesso ground over cotton duck 89cmsW x 89cmsH. The painting is built in layers of thin washes of dichlorotriazine dyes and heavy impasto applied with knife, spatula and brush. The title ‘Bayila’ is derived from the Portuguese verb bailar, meaning ‘to dance’. Baila is a form of music, popular in Sri Lanka. The genre originated centuries ago among the 'Sri Lankan Kaffirs' or Afro-Sri Lankan communities. Baila songs are played during parties and weddings in Sri Lanka, Goa and Mangalore accompanied by dancing. Bayila music, as a form of folk art, has been popular for centuries in Sri Lanka. Much of my work relates to music which I listen to every day and all the time that I spend making paintings. The colours in this painting are decadently rich and juicy and frequently discordant, particularly where shape meets gesture, perhaps in keeping with party music of Sri Lankan Baila, a conflict of shape and expression. I love that conflict. Surfaces are important to me. Textures provide a dimension of ‘noise’, harsh but seductive. Surfaces that describe history, memories and cultural mannerisms aged over centuries, beautiful decay, decline and decomposition. I always look to the modern masters of colour for inspiration ie: Mark Rothko, Hans Hoffman, Henri Matisse, Art Brut and the art of past civilisations. A3 high quality colour prints using UV inks (no fading) on photo quality paper are also available.

Materials used:

Acrylic paint and dyes on canvas

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