Motagedara is a local landmark in art
The picture is painted on the line passing through Panhinda. Motagedara style is a tradition of his own art that shows the locality well. All of us should be proud that such an artist appeared in Lakderana - Arisen Ahubudu, the great literary man of Hela.
Many students from various parts of the island came on the appointed day for admission to Haywood Institute. A practical test was conducted for all those who came that day. The challenge for the students enrolled in the art section was to get a picture to look at and draw. One of the students who happily accepted the challenge while drawing the picture, the students of higher classes who were studying at that time in Haywood started to watch him draw. What he got to look at and draw was a plaster of Paris European statue. He finished the drawing without taking much time and handed it over to the inspectors. This student is none other than Motagedara Vanigaratne.
He had never been to Colombo before coming to Hewuda.
After joining the "National Art Front" under the guidance of Mapalagama Vipulasara Thero, Mota Geda got an understanding of the national art with local identity through the "National Art Front". He realized that he had to build a style of painting with a national identity that reflected the locality abstracted from westernization. Accordingly, Hay presented paintings in the national style for the first time for the first art exhibition held by the "National Art Front". He trained deliberately without anyone's guidance, and received the support and help of his parents.
. There was not a day without his picture in newspapers like "Lankadeepa", "Irida Lankadeepa" and magazines like "Rasavahiniya", "Vanita Vitti". In the year 1956 Hon. W. R. D. Mr. Bandaranaike received a large mandate and was able to win the vote. B. It must be said that it is because of the great support shown by the capitalists Lankadeepa newspaper. In particular, the Lankadeepa newspaper played a major role in bringing Bandaranaike's five great forces policy and populist ideas to the common people. By the year 1956, Motagedara Paramadhamma Chetiya left Pirivene's shelter and came to stay at a boarding school run by Karunaratne Abeysekaran's father in Dematagoda. During this time, his closest friend was Somasiri Rodrigu, who he used to go to see movies with. Their friendship grew gradually. As time went on, Somasiri's parents were so willing to hand over the house where Somasiri and his family lived near Ananda Vidyalaya, Colombo, to Mota when they left, because of this very close relationship between us. Due to this, Karunaratne Abeysekaran's father, who left the boarding school, stopped at this house in Maradana. Here, some art classes were also held for the students who wanted to learn.
Motagedara's most successful pantheon works were born in 1956. By the month of May 1956, the celebration of the 2500th Buddha Jayanti year was reached. On that occasion, Vesak festivals were organized and decorations were created all over the island, and his third pandal design also began to emerge. With the help of his friend Somasiri, the Vesak Pavilion to be built by the "Jet Hiring Car Associations" at the Colombo Port premises, where his father worked, was handed over to Motagedara. Through that creation, he was able to make a revolutionary change in pantheon art that existed until then. A pantheon with a completely different form was built instead of the pantheon art that had existed until then and was built with the same face, balanced on both sides. It is an approach to a different way, marking the beginning of a new tradition abstracted from traditional pantheon art.
The first exhibition of Motagedara Wanigaratne's paintings named "Mage Latawa" was held at the Colombo National Art Gallery on October 03, 04, 05, 1956. It was inaugurated by late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. By Mr. Bandaranaike. The special feature of this exhibition was that the invitation cards stated that visitors should come dressed in national dress to view this painting. Accordingly, the gentlemen who came for that came dressed in national dress, while the young women who were involved in the organization were dressed in cloth and top.
Motagedara also worked to prepare a Sinhala typeface to be applied to the main news headlines in "Dasana" after the start of the Dasana newspaper. It was called “Mota Type” in the staff. It is now included among computer Sinhala font designs under the name "Dawasa Type". A 14 x 18 inch portrait of Sivali Thero by him was released along with the maiden edition of the Danya newspaper. Hay Day held the position of chief artist of the institution, and was also included in the executive staff.
Motagedara Wanigaratne was married to Miss Doreen Seetha Ranasinghe, the eldest daughter of archaeologist Mr. Douglas C. Ranasinghe.
In addition to being a newspaper artist, he has produced various works as a sculptor, batik and textile print designer, wood carver, pantheon designer. He has also contributed to the design work of clothes design, make-up, actors and actresses. Among them, Mota and Seetha did the costume design and make-up of Emerson Hippola and Berti Galahitiyava's "Ravana Nadagama". Veteran dramatist Sugathapala de Silva Surin's “Nil Cutrol
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