Sri Lankan-born artist Paul Weerasekera has been living in Ireland for 25 years and recently moved to Dublin having spent most of that time in Limerick. Trained as an architect, Weerasekera also studied art and design in the UK, before making his way over here, and the artist currently teaches in both Limerick and Dublin. His most recent series of paintings, ‘CINEMA’, transports famous movie characters onto canvas and has been on display at Filmbase as part of Dub Web Fest. The exhibition ends with the festival tomorrow, but all of the paintings from this exhibition remain available for purchase, with proceeds aiding the Irish Cancer Society. From old Hollywood icons like John Wayne to Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman, Paul Weerasekera’s paintings cover a wide range of Hollywood history. We have a gallery after the jump with just some of the paintings that make up the ‘CINEMA’ exhibition.
The organisers of Dub Web Fest have been very complimentary of Weerasekera’s work.
Erol Mustafov, Co-Director, Dub WebFest , said:
Paul’s creativity, innovation and talent has shown no bounds. I am thrilled Dub Web Fest and Filmbase is staging Paul’s first major Dublin exhibition about Cinema on Canvas. It promises to be an unmissable exhibition for all cinema and art fans and a joyful discovery for everyone.
The work of the Paul Weerasekera is characterised for most people by his paintings and art work spanning a career of more than 25 solo exhibitions around Ireland and the USA, yet he can also be seen passing on the knowledge of art through his art classes hosted weekly in a number of venues. The story of Paul Weerasekera is that of a dedicated cinema fan and an avid collector of movie memorabilia which has allowed him to portray a true understanding of cinema into his paintings.
Mikael Theiry, Co-Director, Dub Web Fest , said:
For Dub Web Fest, we wanted an artist who is as passionate about story-telling as we are. And what better way to display this passion and understanding for this craft and skill! By having the exhibition on at the same time as Dub Web Fest, attendees at the festival will have the opportunity to revisit childhood memories through canvas paintings of some classic movies and cult tv-series. The unprecedented array of acrylic canvas paintings that Paul has prepared for this exhibition is not simply for admiration, but inspiration to those interested in cinema.
Those interested in purchasing some art and helping a good cause in the process can contact the artist here.