Tilake Abeysinghe

Tilake Abeysinghe (Sinhala: කැවාලියර් තිලක අබේසිංහ; Tamil: காவலியர் திலகே அபேசிங்க; 28 March 1929 – 24 September 2022), better known as Tilake, was an internationally reputed Sri Lankan painter and sculptor. Using traditional media such as oil on canvas and water colours, and sculpting in bronze, cement, clay and plaster-of-paris, Tilake fused oriental ethos with western sensuality in his art pieces. Tilake created abstract, semi-abstract and feminine form inspired paintings and sculptures.

Early life Tilake, was born in Hakmana, British Ceylon as Gunatilake Samaratunga Abeysinghe. Tilake was the nickname his wife Padma fondly called him and the name he would eventually use throughout his life. Tilake lost his mother during the birth of her second child when he was 2 years old. When Tilake was 10 years old, his father, a village school principal, was poisoned, leaving him an orphan. Tilake's grandmother raised him and paid for his education at Rahula College in Matara before he attended St. Sylvester's College in Kandy for his advanced studies. Tilake's exhibitions have been opened by Dr. P. R. Anthonis, professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, Maestro W. D. Amaradeva, professor Cyril Ponamperuma, education minister I. M. R. A. Iriyagolle, Italian ambassador Franco Micieli de Biase, Edwin Ariyadasa, A. S. Jayawardena and writer Martin Wickramasinghe. Tilake owned art studios in both Milan and Zurich. In recognition of his contribution to the realm of fine arts, the government of Sri Lanka established Tilake Abeysinghe Foundation in 2001 through a special enactment in parliament. Tilake was offered by Mount Lavinia Hotel Chairman Sanath Ukwatte a permanent gallery to exhibit his art at the hotel in Colombo, being the first time that a Sri Lankan artist had been offered so by any institution. The hotel gallery devoted a portion of the lower lobby to the display of his paintings and sculptures. Tilake later held five one-man exhibitions in Toronto, Ontario from which all proceeds of art sales were donated to Toronto Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple, Brampton Buddhist Temple and various fundraising efforts for Sri Lanka.

Personal life Tilake was married to his wife Padma until her death in 2019. In 2003, Tilake suffered a right-sided paralytic stroke. Determined to continue his passion for art, Tilake taught himself to write, paint, and sculpt with his left hand.

Tilake lived with his daughter in Toronto until he died on September 24, 2022.

Awards

1956 – First Prize Buddha Jayanti Stamp 1962 – President's Prize, Ceylon Society of Arts 1984 – Cavaliere of the Order of Merit, Government of Italy 1984 – Gold Award for Most Outstanding Personality for Aesthetic Art, Lions International 1988 – Kalapathi Award, Ceylon Society of Arts 1993 – Gold Award, Japan Sri Lanka Exhibition 1993 – Vishwa Prasadini Award 1993 – Ruhunu Puthra Award