“Beautiful as many of his pictures are, in which so much of the subject is described by a few delicate, precise lines, some of them enclosing sober monochrome washes, others simply areas of virgin paper on canvas.

It is upon his most intransigently abstract works that his reputation will finally depend. As years advanced, he created beauty on canvas while his art kept on rising to greater heights.” Tissa Hewavitharana

Upasena Gunawardene’s artistic journey spans many decades, during which he has used painting to express his observations, thoughts, and feelings. His works are characterized by a deep understanding of traditional art forms and a commitment to academic rigor. He believes that art, like any other discipline, requires thorough study and mastery, asserting that art is a language that must be learned comprehensively.

His first solo exhibition in 1958 at the Colombo Art Gallery showcased illustrations of the Sinhala poetic work “Sela Lihini Sandesaya,” marking the beginning of his career. After that, Upasena has gone on to display his remarkable talent in multiple exhibitions both in Sri Lanka and abroad.

He is also a prolific creator of religious paintings. He painted 22 murals depicting the history of the sacred Tooth Relic in the new wing of Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy and 32 fresco paintings in Nava Jetavana Temple, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India. His work depicting Sri Lankan people, flowers, foliage, and animals is part of a permanent collection at the Vatican.

In 1988, he was decorated with the ‘Kalapathi’ award by the Ceylon Society of Art in recognition of his services to the arts and culture of Sri Lanka. In his later years, he took to creative writing and published a short story collection named ‘Anoo Navayen Beruna’ (A Narrow Escape) in 2001. His son, Madhava Priyanath Gunawardene, has taken after the father and is an artist himself.