Purpose: ‘Reflect:Reframe:Renew,’ an exhibition by iconic artist Anoma Wijewardene – the ‘Mercedes-Benz Art Spotlight Artist’ for 2024 opens to the public today (8) at Level 7, Cinnamon Life City of Dreams.

The pictures shown here however are from her multimedia exhibition ‘Kintsugi,’ which is on Level 23 of Cinnamon Life and will remain there until next year, featured in the ‘Cinnamon Life Artist Spotlight’.

‘Reflect:Reframe:Renew’ powerfully intertwines art and advocacy and ‘celebrates the incredible strength of women to overcome adversity and emerge transformed, much like the Earth renews itself after a catastrophe’.

The series of paintings is expressed in various media by the artist and also incorporates writings by poet Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe and women’s rights activist and mountaineer Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala.

The exhibition is open daily from 8-10 November from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A talk titled ‘Voices of Renewal: Art and Women as a Catalyst for Change’ will be held on Saturday (9) from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., at which Ramya Jirasinghe, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, Anoma, and Radhika Hettiarachchi will contemplate how artistic expression and women’s movements are at the frontier of social, cultural, and environmental change.

‘Art, Memory, and the Pursuit for Unity’ will be held on Sunday (10) from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., featuring Radhika and Anoma reflecting on a short film presented at ‘The South Asian Gaze: Aesthetics, Politics and the Social’ at the London School of Economics.

Meanwhile, ‘Kintsugi,’ which was shown at the European Cultural Centre, Palazzo Bembo, Canale Grande, Venice during the 58th Venice Biennale for six months, is an absolute must-visit at Level 23.

The exhibition in Colombo features the same content with different iterations and comprises an interactive installation of floating laser cut mesh panels, a book of poetry written for the art, and a 12-minute video incorporating art, words, and music.

Don’t miss out on listening to the video featuring award-winning author Romesh Gunesekera reading his poetry and Oscar nominee Sharon Smith’s composition specifically written for the art.

The exhibition – created in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings – responds to the theme ‘May You Live in Interesting Times’ of the Venice Biennale and was inspired by the Japanese technique of restoration. Anoma was the first artist from Sri Lanka to show her art during the Biennale.

Pages: if you, like me, have been making your Christmas lists and racking your brains for the perfect gift that cuts across just about all ages, ‘Colours of Colombo’ launching its extended version recently couldn’t have happened at a better time.

This beautifully presented book showcases Sri Lanka through a series of stunning images and makes for a wonderful gift that will certainly be treasured through time. But first, buy one for yourself. You will find yourself longing for the book after flipping through it just once.

A kaleidoscope of colour, this book transports you through the streets of Colombo and envelops you in nostalgia and warmth.

The men behind the magic, Nazly Ahmed and Kris Thomas, describe the book thus: “Colombo is a city of contrasts where beauty and chaos coexist in a colourful harmony. ‘Colours of Colombo’ is an attempt to find the magic in the mundane moments of everyday Colombo; through cultures, communities, and the constantly changing urban landscape, paying homage to a city, and to all those who live in it and call it home.”

The extended version is now available for purchase online and at select bookstores around Colombo and includes all the original content, plus a collection of new photographs, which takes the book to 160 pages from the previous 120.

Tip: kids love this book. With the first version, which I got no sooner it was out, my little nephew and I would flip through the pages and have the best time pointing out the tuk-tuks and trains.

Poems: ‘House of Grace’ by Grace Wickremasinghe turns 10 this month and there’s a great lineup of events planned to mark the milestone anniversary along with a communal e-chapbook.

The deadline for submissions for the ‘House of Grace Communal eChapbook’ is 15 November. Poems, prose, one-liners, short stories, and book cover submissions are welcome, prioritising themes of grief, existentialism, morality, life, love, loss, and art. Email your submissions to grace.slmun@gmail.com (which reminds me I must do the same!).

The following anniversary related events are being held in November at Lago Italian Bistro at the CCC mall:

• 17 November (Sunday) 3 p.m.: ‘Manuscript to Marketplace’, limited slots – a free event on self publishing and social media marketing with other writers and publishers
• 24 November (Sunday) 3 p.m.: ‘Social Media Marketing: Building Your Brand’, a free workshop and discussion with limited seats
• 30 November (Saturday) 6 p.m.: 10th year anniversary celebration and open mic night. Entrance is free but, reservations are recommended