• Dillai Joseph Rodrigo and Royden Gibbs on their landmark joint exhibition

It is the power of artists to provoke thought and reflection. In their hands (often quite literally), artists hold the ability to shape how we view the world – past, present, or future. Looking at the past few decades alone, Sri Lanka has seen a huge amount of change, and this change can often be seen when looking through the work of artists who have lived through this period of change. 

Royden Gibbs is one such artist. One of Sri Lanka’s finest watercolourists, for over 60 years he has documented various parts of Sri Lanka on his travels, capturing its ravishing natural beauty, its incredible architecture (both ancient and modern), and the ever-captivating faces of its people. His portfolio of work is a walk through time – forgotten aspects of our culture, forgotten buildings, and snapshots of our island that have radically evolved over the decades. 

Thus begins the concept of ‘Corridors of Time’ – a joint exhibition with Royden and representational artist Dillai Joseph Rodrigo that weaves an artistic narrative of heritage and nature to inspire greater conservation of both our natural and man-made resources. 

Dillai’s work spans over two decades, focusing on an ethos of connecting nature and capturing new perspectives of everyday scenes. Trees in particular play a strong role in her art. For Dillai, trees evoke stability. They’re companions, stable and supportive in their presence, there as an anchor. 

Together, Royden and Dillai are curating an exhibition of both their work that promises to transport art enthusiasts on a journey through time, archaeology, architecture, culture, history, nature, and the human form to see how these different elements come together to bind heritage and nature. 

What ‘Corridors of Time’ means

As an exhibition, ‘Corridors of Time’ is the coming together of two like minds with different views of the world. 

Royden and Dillai first met each other through a group exhibition some five years ago and struck up a friendship centred around their different forms of art. “I wanted to learn watercolour – it’s an area I’m not too familiar with – and I found Royden to be the best person who could teach me,” Dillai shared. “Along the way, we discussed lots of ideas and found that a lot of the same things interested us. Art has always been an area that has taken centre stage for us.” 

The move to exhibit was one pushed by Dillai on seeing Rodyen’s collection of unseen work. Through many of his paintings, Royden captures the essence of ancient temples, historical sites, and traditional rituals, inviting viewers to delve into the heart of Sri Lanka’s past. Several structures painted by Royden have regrettably ceased to exist at present. These artworks hold significant historical value, and their recognition has been duly acknowledged by the Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIA). 

“Especially right now in the country, where more abstract work is trending and not a lot of people are depicting this kind of work in the art industry, I felt it was important to exhibit,” Dillai said. 

Dillai’s own work focuses more on nature and how people connect to nature and this too comes into the ‘Corridors of Time’ narrative. “I try to inspire people to develop a love for and preserve the environment for future generations. So when we say ‘corridor,’ it’s more of a passage, from Royden’s old work to the future of things,” Dillai said, adding that artists of Royden’s calibre and experience who had devoted decades to their craft should be celebrated and ‘Corridors of Time’ was a unique opportunity to see a wide breadth of Royden’s work, both previously exhibited as well as work that has to date remained unseen.

This unique partnership brings together Royden and Dillai’s distinctive artistic styles, blending contemporary interpretations with deep-rooted Sri Lankan traditions to depict the rich tapestry of the country’s heritage and the awe-inspiring beauty of its natural landscapes.

The creative journeys of two incredible artists 

Royden is one of Sri Lanka’s best-known watercolourists, but watercolour isn’t his only creative medium. In fact, he started out as a pastel artist doing portraits. A substantial amount of his work today is in pastel because of how easy it is to use while travelling.

Speaking on how he first got into art, Royden simply said: “I got into it like a duck taking to water. If you have that talent in you, you must get into art, especially when you’re young. I encourage all parents to send their children to an art teacher.” 

Arts education is also important because of the many transferable skills it teaches that can help children excel in so many different fields. As an example, Royden shared that going to paint out in the open could teach you about geology (identifying different rocks and soils), anatomy (from birds, animals, and people being drawn), how water bodies behaved, how light fell – art had the potential to build incredible powers of observation. 

Dillai’s journey into art began in her youth, growing up in a musically-inclined environment. Despite both her parents being doctors, her mother also had a background in music. Dillai initially pursued art as an alternative to music and found herself captivated by this form of self-expression, and became an exemplary representational artist (representational art is art that depicts reality with precision, presenting true-to-life representations of the subject. Royden too is a representational artist). 

It wasn’t until her 30s that Dillai truly discovered herself as an artist, finding her passion for art rooted in nature and people and crafting thought-provoking, carefully conceptualised pieces. 

“In all my work, I try to build a human connection with the environment. I often explicitly show the treehugger concept because I find it to be a new concept in this country. What I try to explain is how much of an intimate connection we as humans should have with the environment,” Dillai shared of how her creative journey had shaped her art. 

Inspiring a spirit of conservation

The underlying message of ‘Corridors of Time’ is one of conservation, with 50% of the proceeds from the exhibition going towards aiding conservation efforts driven by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), the third oldest Non-Governmental Organisation of its kind in the world, and the oldest conservation body in Sri Lanka. 

With a heritage spanning over 129 years, the WNPS is deeply intertwined with the rich natural history of this captivating island nation and continues to work alongside communities to safeguard the unmatched beauty and diversity it offers even today.

So how does this message of conservation come through? 

“My work spans almost 60 years, and many of the things I recorded are no longer there. Back then, it was a very beautiful country with a lot to offer, unlike now where most of it has been destroyed,” Royden shared. “‘Corridors of Time’ is about times in my life where I’ve been able to see certain things and record them.” 

“We aim to educate the public about heritage and places. My work is about preserving heritage, while Dillai’s work is about conserving the environment. The common theme is conservation but from different perspectives.”

Royden also shared that he saw his work, especially those being displayed in ‘Corridors of Time,’ as flying the Sri Lankan flag and showcasing the incredible beauty of Sri Lanka, from known heritage sites to buildings of the past to little scenes of Sri Lankan life from times gone by that were all but forgotten. 

Royden also sees ‘Corridors of Time’ playing an educational role, not just through his own work but also through Dillai’s. “My work is about provoking a story, so this is not just an exhibition to come have a look at, but also a thought-starter to get people talking about this particular subject and take it to another level,” he said, before reflecting on how Dillai’s work also provoked thought: “Something that has always struck me is how well thought-out Dillai’s paintings are. They’re always trying to convey a message. There’s always something within the work to take note of, and in ‘Corridors of Time,’ most the message is how we take things for granted.” 

An educational art experience

With ‘Corridors of Time’ having a vision transcending art, Royden shared his hope that the exhibition would serve as an educational experience, for while many Sri Lankans were well-educated, the breadth of his work meant that they may see places they were not familiar with. 

He also hopes ‘Corridors of Time’ will evoke a sense of nostalgia in older audiences by capturing places now forever changed by urban development. “It might even rekindle memories of those places and allow people to imagine them more vividly. They can see it anew, perhaps a place they’ve heard about or read,” he said. 

Wildlife, heritage sites, and other less-travelled places in Sri Lanka as captured by Royden during his many years of travel offer a unique opportunity to explore the country’s beauty outside of the typical tourist spots. “Artists are like poets,” Royden said. “They go out, observe, and interpret what they see creatively.” 

For Dillai, what she hopes most that people will take away from ‘Corridors of Time’ is the urgent need to conserve what we have, whether that be our heritage – tangible and intangible – or the environment. “I see ‘Corridors of Time’ as a starting point. A spark that can inspire people to explore, learn, and take steps to conserve and protect their environment and heritage.” 

The ‘Corridors of Time’ exhibition will be held at the Harold Peiris Gallery (the upstairs gallery of the Lionel Wendt Art Centre) from 3 to 5 November. 

Fifty percent of proceeds from the exhibition will be dedicated towards conservation efforts driven by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS). 

Parallel to the exhibition, there will also be art-based workshops for youth held by Dillai Joseph in partnership with the WNPS. For more information or to register, contact the WNPS (@wnpssl on Facebook and Instagram).