My earliest memories about the veteran Sculptor Tissa Ranasinghe goes back to 1993 when I sent him a sweetened cashew parcel when he was in England. Much delighted with my gratitude to him he sent me two magazines in reward and also a letter thanking me.
After few months I had the opportunity to meet him when he visited the school where I was teaching at the time with the owner of the Sarasavi Cinema in Alawwa, wearing a short and an ordinary pair of slippers.
This event seemed to me interesting and important as well. As the school was located close to my house I invited them and offered them with refreshment. The same night they invited me for a dinner.
After sometime on another visit to the country this pleasant master sculptor invited me to Sapumal Foundation in Colombo 07 and I was also presented with a box of large size colour pencils.
He encouraged me buying painting at my third painting exhibition held in 1994. I was so inspired by his presence in exhibitions held by me on several occasion. He was born on May 09, 1925 in Yogiyatha - an agricultural village in Sandalankawa. His parents were Solomon Ranasinghe - a chieftain of the village and mother was Narangamuwe Soma Ranasinghe. He first attended the Yogiyatha Sinhala School until his admission to Negombo Harischandra Vidyalaya during the period of World War II and later joined Royal College in Colombo for higher education.
The news of his demise received from my brother made me so saddened and felt a loss of great resource of inspiration for my creativity.
His first career was in Peradeniya Agricultural Training College and later served in MahaIlluppallama Agriculture Farm. However he was not satisfied with the service in these places as he could not better serve the country and for his own interest.
The first Sri Lankan to win an international award for sculpture was Tissa Ranasinghe. It was at the 7th Sao Paolo bi-annual exhibition
His aptitude for paintings brought him to Government College of Fine Art in Colombo. When he met then head of the institute - J.D.A. Perera he encouraged Tissa Ranasinghe to develop his skill in sculpture as there were many engaged in painting at the time and arrangement was made for him to learn sculpture under the auspice of veteran sculptor Rathi Dhanapala- the wife of prominent Journalist D.B. Dhanapala.
Although Tissa Ranasinghe was fortunate to receive a foreign scholarship in sincere reactions of a few had deprived him of this chance. Despite these difficulties he endeavoured courageously and was able to go to England in 1954.
His life abroad in his own words are;
‘First I studied at Chelsea School of Art from 1954 to 1958 under Professor Bernard Meadows and Willi Sowkop. After leaving this academy I joined Royal College of Art in 1961.There I studied till 1963 under two Italian brothers - Angeloni’
As a recipient of an UNESCO scholarship offered to him, Tissa Ranasinghe had the opportunity to gain a wide range of knowledge and experience in visiting art galleries in Italy, France, Holland and Germany.
He served as the principal of the Government College of Art in Colombo for two years (1970 and 1971) but in a short period of service he again left for England as the teaching process at this Art College was not in line with his principles.
In England he again joined the Royal College of Arts in 1972 and worked as an assistant bronze statue casting artist for 19 years till 1991.
The loss of his service to the local art students could be considered as a set back in art education in our country.
The bust statue of late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake posted on a rock on Inginiyagala reservoir dam and statue of Mudaliyar Samaraweera in Weligama testify for his excellence in sculpture. The life-size statues of late Prime Ministers- D.S.Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, Sir John Kotelawala and late former Governor of Ceylon Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, Colonel Henry Steel Olcott are other examples for his skill in sculpture work.
His other works of craftsmanship also include the bust statues of M.W. Rupasinghe, Romlus Silva, Anny Botheju, Jinadasa Wijethunga, Martin Wickramasinghe, Professor Senarath Paranavithana, Irangani Serasinghe and Trilicia Gunawardena.
Our great master of sculpture Tissa Ranasinghe was also bestowed with first Sarasavi Awards for Arts.
The terracotta sculpture at Royal College Colombo displaying the chronicles of Sri Lanka dramas and terracotta statues at Mount Lavinia Hotel are few more works that testify for his excellence works.
As a recipient of an UNESCO scholarship he had the opportunity to gain a wide range of knowledge and experience in visiting art galleries in Italy, France, Holland and Germany
The first Sri Lankan to win an international award for sculpture was Tissa Ranasinghe. It was at the 7th Sao Paolo bi-annual exhibition. He presented his creation themed ‘Thapasa’ (Penance) for the exhibition where 56 artists contested from countries including Switzerland, Chile, and United Arab Emirates
Enshrining of his creation of sculpture depicting Siduhath Bodhisathwa engaged rigorous asceticism in Somawathiya Chaitya was a great achievement in his life.
Most of his creations were based on Buddhist and Hindu stories and some mythology.
He had displayed a number of his exhibits at local and international exhibitions.
He was one of the excellent Artists ever born in Sri Lanka Though an excellent master of arts he was so honest to say that the sculptor of the Buddha statue at Polonnaruwa Gal Vihara was the greatest sculptor born in Lanka.
May he attain the bliss of Nirvana
