By Vijitha Yapa

It’s a time when Sri Lanka’s economy hangs in the balance, and corrupt politicians and top government officials are living gloriously – except for the delayed action taken against the former minister health minister and a few of his colleagues.

Despite the hardships being faced by a large proportion of the populace, it’s heartening to read this new book on the late George Keyt MBE by Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda. At a time when Sri Lanka needs as much positivity as it can muster, a book dedicated to the work of this amazing Sri Lankan artist is indeed a beacon of hope.

Keyt is known to many as the artist whose works adorn the Gothami Viharaya in Borella. His versatility is clearly demonstrated in the paintings, photographs, illustrations and images that are reproduced in this beautiful coffee-table book.

The author asserts that Keyt was one of the great figures of Asian modernism, and Sri Lanka’s most renowned and celebrated modern artist. Born in Kandy, Keyt decided to be involved in the arts and culture of Sri Lanka’s ancient Buddhist civilisation; he turned his back on the conventional career and lifestyle that had been created for him.

Tammita-Delgoda opines that the painter was deeply influenced by cubism, and the exploration and innovation of European modernism. Keyt was also attracted to the Indian classical tradition and used all these influences to create a new and unique artistic vocabulary.

“Epitomising the syntheses of the East and West,” Keyt’s  unique style saw his work reach all corners of the world, which turned him into a national and international celebrity, the author notes. Shaped and moulded by the energy and innovation of the West, Keyt remained a child of the East, deeply grounded in the ancient culture of India and Sri Lanka,” he adds.

Keyt was influenced by Picasso’s works and some call him the ‘Asian Picasso.’ This book contains a large number of drawings and paintings that haven’t been documented in previous publications.

Some of his works feature in international collections, which have been reproduced with permission from those who possess these unique creations. The book displays the grandeur of his works in many styles.

Librarian and scholar Ian Goonetilleke listed 78 books, poems and articles authored by Keyt. Interestingly, though many books have been written about Keyt, the most comprehensive volume was one written by someone who had never met him – Yashodhara Dalmia.

She is the author of ‘Buddha to Krishna: Life and Times of George Keyt.’ Dalmia describes her book as “the fullest and most comprehensive study of George Keyt to date.”

Keyt’s paintings have sold well internationally, and details of many of these have been made available through the support of the great auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

The mythology of the Indian subcontinent was a tremendous inspiration to Keyt. He had close links and long friendships with well-known Indian literary figures such as Mulk Raj Anand.

It is a pity that the author hasn’t featured the famous murals at Gothami Viharaya extensively – he says that they’ve already been published and widely discussed. If they had been included in this book however, it would have been a more complete publication showcasing all the major projects in which Keyt was involved.

Tammita-Delgoda believes that there is still a full and comprehensive study of the artist to be undertaken. The title of this book (‘George Keyt: The Absence of a Desired Image’) implies that there’s much we have yet to understand about his art and life story.

Keyt was born in Kandy on 17 April 1901 to Eurasian parents. They were known as ‘Burghers’ because of their European appearance, fair skin and light-coloured eyes. But although they held a privileged position, they were treated as inferiors.

So Keyt decided on his own future and chose to become an artist rather than join the civil service. And his life story consists of a tale of three women, three relationships, several families, and countless affairs and scandals.

His daughter Diana Keyt says: “Looking at the influences he imbibed, I would say he was shaped first and foremost by his encounter at Trinity, followed by immersion in English literature and poetry.”

Among the drawings that stand out are depictions of the life of Lord Buddha.

It’s difficult to do justice to Keyt in this brief review but for the record, this is a book that captures the trials and successes of this renowned
artist in his lifetime, and exemplifies in detail the contribution he made to bring fame to his motherland.