The Creative Cross-Currents with India and Sri Lanka exhibition at the Dimbola Museum and Galleries brings together the work of 21st century visual artists, Jeremy Bear, Sunara Begum and Dunstan Perera, with that of the 19th century pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.
Across the centuries and continents this reflects similarities in the way their different personal histories interweave India, Sri Lanka and Britain, and parallels in the way they work and convey their ideas.
Creative Cross-Currents with India and Sri Lanka
Julia Margaret Cameron declared that her photographs should be regarded as art and in Creative Cross-Currents with India and Sri Lanka a selection of her rare images made in Sri Lanka are seen alongside the paintings, prints, films and an installation made specially for Dimbola by present-day artists who use a variety of media and techniques – some of which she might have chosen to try out if they had existed in her time.
Jeremy Bear
Jeremy Bear is showing over 20 paintings revealing the vibrant, urban life and creative spirit of the people observed by him on the streets of 21st century Kolkata and further afield.
In the 19th century Julia could have experienced many similar scenes. Also showing is Jeremy’s recently completed film celebrating the spectacular citywide outpouring of creativity in the annual Durga Puja and his Festival installation.
Sunara Begum
Sunara Begum is showing a series of drypoint and carborundum monoprints inspired by visits to Kolkata and Sri Lanka, where she walked in the footstep of Julia Margaret Cameron, and her new film entitled WATER which was shot in India.
This is a meditative and atmospheric work in which she explores notions of identity and origin and draws upon Bengali creation myths.
Dunstan Perera
Dunstan Perera grew up in Sri Lanka and moved to London as a young man. There and in the US he pursued a long career as a stills photographer in the film industry.
A work assignment took him back to Sri Lanka and that journey, which built on a life-long passion for his country of birth, inspired the series of monoprints in this exhibition. These are made using naturally occurring polymers for colour and a heliographic technique similar to that used in early photography.
Julia in Sri Lanka
Fewer than 30 photographs remain from those taken by Julia Margaret Cameron during the years she spent in Sri Lanka.
Digitised versions of seven of those works in the collection of the National Museum of Science and Media in Bradford and in Dimbola’s own collection are included in the exhibition to demonstrate parallels and synergy between her work and that of the three present-day artists.
Where and when
Creative Cross-Currents with India and Sri Lanka takes place at Dimbola Museum and Galleries between 26th March and 5th June 2022.
Exhibition Private Views to meet artists from 2pm to 3.30pm on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April.
Dimbola Museum and Galleries can be found at Terrace Lane, Freshwater Bay PO40 9QE.
News shared by Elissa on behalf of Dimbola. Ed
Image: © Jeremy Bear
