Green Path

Green-path or Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha is a broad two-way traffic road that outlines the southern end of Viharamadevi park (originally Victoria Park), in Colombo 07. While one side boasts the National Art Gallery, home to many antiques and cultural artefacts, the “park side” of Green-path is now hailed as an artist’s haven, where around 20-30 artists exhibit their work. The paintings cover the entire fence—immense six by five canvases and quaint two by twos, all hang in rows, sometimes spilling over to the eastern and western sides of the park. In the shade of the trees that line the southern-side of the park and against the back drop of multiple shades of green, the vibrant blues, reds, browns and whites stand out. Giant frangipani and orchids, wide hipped-women harvesting crops and dazzling Perehara scenes that almost drug the eyes. Shanake De Fonseka London