ArtTsunami Biography
This exhibition consists of a selection of drawings made by the children, ages 8 through 16, affected by the Tsunami. The initial purpose of the drawings was to assist children in confronting and recovering from the crisis, with the art serving as a therapy. At the same time, the artworks serve as a window into the minds of the children and the horror of the magnitude of the tragedy.
At the first glance, the artworks transmit a disturbing sensation, combined with a reflection of innocence and simplicity. In a straightforward manner, the children?s works depict both the tsunami and the post-tsunami suffering. Most artworks represent the tsunami, with enormous waves as the largest part of the composition, and personal belongings, like homes, bicycles, books, and even chickens, occupying a secondary role.
In addition to the visual depictions, the artworks are also based on the recent traumatic experience of the children ? gigantic waves with a ruthless face and drawings full of tears. A large number of drawings depict the drama of people drowning or trying to escape the tsunami, others reflect the mourning of the losses. Some images depict scenes of an average Sri Lankan village life, with the Tsunami arriving at the shore ? an average day in the life of the child at the juncture of being shaken by the chaos and trauma inflicted by nature.
The chosen colors in most of the images are significant ? a dark ferocious sea dominates, often in the shade of black, with the remaining palette in dark shades, speaking of fear and pain of these children.
All proceeds are committed to the Living Heritage Disaster Relief Mission (anathi.org and lankarelief.net), which focuses on the needs of the children impacted by the Tsunami, a project by the Living Heritage Trust, an NGO working in Sri Lanka for the last several years.
PicassoMio Gallery, in Madrid, will present from the 25th of May to the 27th of July a charity exhibition, ?Los Niños del Tsunami?, with all sale proceeds being contributed to the affected children in this South Asian country. This will be the first exhibition of this kind in Europe, the works can also be viewed and purchased at www.picassomio.com/ArtTsunami