Who is the Creator of Metal Horse Sculpture at Panchikawatta junction?
Peacock at Mattala airport, Horse at Panchikawatta junction and Bicycle Fork Tree at Colombo Courtyard Hotel. You may have seen these metal sculptures. Anidda newspaper recently published an article about the assemble artist who created these marvels.
He is Prageeth Manohansa, a fine art graduate of Aesthetics University who excels in Assemble Art in Sri Lanka. He has created over 3000 Assemble Art sculptures now.
Prageeth hails from a family of artists. His father, Milton Jayapala is an sculptor whose creations can be seen in many places including Saradiel Village, Mawanella.
Young Prageeth was fascinated with scrap metal because of his father’s regular visits with him to Panchikawatta on the lookout for spare parts for his old car and his academic education enhanced his natural passion for rustic metal.
“I was offered a government art teacher position and on the first day I assumed duty I told the principal I would come to work the next day. He asked me to work until 2 o’ clock since I had signed attendance registry. I took a short leave and went early never to return to the school. I thought that if I continued to teach in school from morning to afternoon I would not have time to do any other thing,” Prageeth told.
His revolutionary move served immensely to Assemble Art of Sri Lanka.
He was inspired by his father’s introduction to him to Pablo Picasso’s Bull’s head which was created with a bicycle seat and a handle.
Prageeth likes his artwork remain unpainted. “The corrosion brings the best colours to the sculpture. If I create a crane with old bicycle mudguards, the sculpture needs to appear both as mudguard and crane,” he says.
(Based on an article by Rekha Nilukshi Herath on Anidda Sinhala newspaper)