George Claessen
George Claessen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 May 1909 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 1 May 1999 (aged 89) |
| Known for | Painting |
George Claessen (5 May 1909-1 May 1999) was a Sri Lankan artist and poet whose art was characterised by his mystical outlook and beliefs. He was a founding member of the
Colombo '43 Group
.
Biography
Claessen was born in
Colombo '43 Group, who embraced modern European artistic forms over traditional Sri Lankan forms.[2] During World War II the War Artists' Advisory Committee acquired a work by Claessen under a scheme for artworks by colonial artists. Claessen's painting was displayed at the National Gallery in London during 1945.[3][4]
In 1947 Claessen had a solo show at the
Sao Paulo Biennale in 1959 where he won an award. Claessen exhibited in London several times and was a member of the Hampstead Artists Council and the Islington Art Circle.[1] He also exhibited with the Royal Society of British Artists and the Society of Graphic Art.[5]
Throughout his life Claessen continued to work at the Colombo Port Commission until his retirement and also published several volumes of poetry. A memorial exhibition was held in 2000.[1][2]
Published works
- Poems of a Painter (1967)
- Poems about Nothing (1981)
- Collected Poems (1995)
References
- ^ ISBN 0-95326-095-X.
- ^ a b c Neville Weeraratne (23 June 1999). "George Claessen". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ "Scheme for War Pictures by Native-born Colonial artists". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ "ARP Practice: Dealing with Casualties". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ Grant M. Waters (1975). Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900-1950. Eastbourne Fine Art.
External links
- 1 artwork by or after George Claessen at the Art UK site
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