“The art of Abeyesinghe does not reflect the monotony of a constant style. He was never a prisoner of style but had a passion for variety in expression. His adventurous spirit has contributed to the birth of a succession of brilliant products in various media ranging stylistically from realism to semi abstraction.”– Albert Dharmasiri

The late Stanley Abeysinghe was a painter, born in 1914, remembered in the art industry of Sri Lanka as an artist par excellence. Abeysinghe is known for his unique sense of artistic vision in relation to representing the culture, lifestyle and heritage that were present in the country during and after the prosperous years of independence. Abeysinghe was fascinated by painting as a poetic medium of expression, and enrolled in the Art Department of the Ceylon Technical College, where he later became a teacher as well. On a Government Scholarship, he continued his studies at the Central St. Martin’s Art School in London, UK. This stay abroad expanded Abeysinghe’s horizons as he received the opportunity to travel across the UK and Europe, getting exposure to the numerous artistic movements and styles other artists were experimenting with. Returning to Sri Lanka and his profession as an Assistant Lecturer in Art at the Ceylon Technical College (Then the Government College of Fine Arts in Kelaniya), he continued to paint. Later, he was also awarded a UNESCO Fellowship to study art further in the UK, USA and Japan. He strictly believed that freedom of style and thought was an essential aspect of art, and did not associate himself with any of the theoretical stances artists were keen about in the 20th century. He held several exhibitions during his lifetime, the first being An Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings by Stanley Abeysinghe (1945) at the Photograp hic Society Rooms in Colombo.

According to Anoli Perera, Abeysinghe, alongside sculptor TissaRanasinghe and fellow painter H.A. Karunaratne provided some hope that the art industry was still blooming after the momentum of the 43 Group. Although never part of an ideological movement, Abeysinghe worked during a time of “paralysing slumber” in relation to art in the country, Perera claims. He showed his artistic capabilities mainly through the form of portraiture. One of the well-known portraits he did is the life-size portrait of former Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake, which depicts the frontrunner for independence in Sri Lanka in his element of strength and potential. At the 50th annual exhibition of the Ceylon Society of Arts, where the painting was exhibited, a critic notably said, “the portrait by Stanley Abeysinghe of Mr. D. S. Senanayake commands the eye. The UNP leader is so vigorously depicted, that one almost sees him walking out of the frame.” The portrait is now on display at Senanayake’s alma mater, St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. 

During his time lecturing at the Government College of Fine Arts, he studied plaster casts of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures and used the knowledge gained to develop dexterity and finesse in relation to painting. Working with live models and transferring them onto the canvas, Abeysinghe “demonstrated a rapidity of execution and unusual competence in expressing the essence of a subject in a few lines or brush strokes,” according to Albert Dharmasiri. Another of his paintings of two lovers he incorporates the traditional Sri Lankan style of painting, thereby replacing the idea of vulgarity with divinity through a poetic, but free form of expression. The painting “WalanKadaya” also captures his style as a lover of colour, having vivid and attractive hues across the canvas; “Viva” was described by a critic as “a really living work of great delicacy and beauty.” 

Abeysinghe was then and even now lauded for his unrestrained approach to art, and is considered one of the great masters of art in Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in compiling a collection of the artworks of gods from the Pulligoda Galge in 1955, which demonstrates his appreciation of traditional manifestations of art. He was a vital part of the progress of the Government College of Fine Arts, exposing his students to a variety of styles and ideological approaches to art while placing emphasis on the importance of thinking and creating in a fresh, unorthodox manner. For this service he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by the University of Colombo in 1993.