Ismeth Raheem, 1990, Painting on Door Panel, Raheem Collection, Colombo

Ismeth Raheem’s portfolio of drawings, paintings and etchings is emblematic of a symbiosis, intersecting art and design. When approaching the works of the artist, architect and art historian, it is notable that its nucleus stems from his practice at Edwards, Reid and Begg as a draughtsman and architectural assistant under the tutelage of Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrik Plesner. The study of Raheem’s works shed light on a profound understanding of the intersection between art and architecture, characterising a collection of seminal work as imaginative responses to built environments.

In fact, throughout history various art movements have shaped architecture and vice versa. The Art Nouveau style – Jugendstil, inspired the relationship between humans and nature through organically inspired lines and eventually moved toward abstraction and functionalism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Additionally, Dadaism, which emerged as a rebellious response to war and capitalist culture, featured radical concepts to ridicule the status quo by breaking traditional structures whilst focusing on simplicity and functionality. These movements have shaped architectural styles internationally, but did they shape and influence the art and design of Sri Lanka in that period, or did Sri Lankan artists and designers have their own esoteric ethos?

Notably, the Bauhaus merged with the vernacular in Geoffrey Bawa’s designs, which brought together a guild of eccentric artists, namely Laki Senanayake and Barbara Sansoni, whose lives and works we explored extensively through ARTRA Magazine’s Drawings of Barbara Sansoni Edition (2021) and Works of Laki Senanayake Edition (2023), alongside Ena de Silva and Ismeth Raheem – who were steadfast in their own artistic pursuits, catalysing a creative renaissance in the 1960s in Sri Lanka. Inevitably, the works of these artists that responded to the surrounding architecture consequently seeped into the public domains outside of galleries and conventional art exhibits, including currency notes – which predominantly defined Sri Lanka’s Post-Modernist Art, in my opinion.

 The works of Ismeth Raheem are unique in that his foray into architecture went hand-in-hand with his artistic exploration. He experimented with the mediums of glass, metal, pen and ink, textile, wood, and gold leaf – of which we have featured a selected collection across this edition
of the magazine from both private and public collections. Interestingly, during the many encounters I had with the artist in conceptualising and compiling this edition of the magazine, I found material scarcity to have contributed extensively in fueling the creative impulse of Raheem, especially of the works he produced in the 1960s. This period in particular was tumultuous for artists and architects alike as draconian laws imposed limitations on imports by the regime of the former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, making it impossible to obtain produce for specialised work from overseas. The materials that had hitherto defined Modernist Architecture, such as reinforced steel and glass, were in short supply. As a result, when Ismeth Raheem worked on his Nail Sculpture for the Bentota Beach Hotel, built in 1967 (now known as Cinnamon Bentota Beach), the artist used four types of nails made of copper, lead, brass and iron due to the unavailability of the desired material for the installation, he once stated in conversation. Raheem also mentioned that he used Robin Blue, which was popularly for brightening white-colored clothing from losing its natural brilliance, in many of his drawings and paintings as a result of a shortage of dyes in the market at the time.

Raheem’s paintings and drawings featured across this edition are seeped in symbols ever-present in Traditional Sri Lankan Art that meander through his work. In Sukhothai I (2010) on Page 37, Raheem spotlights a lone bare-breasted and voluptuous female figure, surrounded by religious symbols tied to Buddhist worship. Rebellious in nature yet reflective of cultural nuances, the artist brings to light ancient customs and practices in rapturous settings. This particular sketch, rendered in pencil and watercolour, draws the gaze down to the slender visage of the female body – capturing the sensual in the spiritual. Additionally, the works of the artist also explore the ethereal and the enigma of nature, paying homage to his love for flora and fauna. His artistic interpretation of the leaves, in particular, reflects the scientific as well as the artistic – to illustrate diversity and derivations within. 

The process of selecting the featured works for this edition of the magazine was fascinating, as it prompted many conversations with the artist in understanding the wondrous workings of his artistic mind. Together, we visited some of the private homes where his art is adorned in all grandeur, be it on the walls of a living room or grandiose door panels by the entrances and exits of edifices, to converse with the collectors. I found this most riveting, as it gave insight into the experience Ismeth’s work has upon the eyes of its beholders – which was poignant for the sentiment it evoked in each person. 

I certainly believe the featured curated collection will help you find your appeal to Raheem’s work as they embody, in my opinion, a premise of artistic experimentation fueled by a potent interpretation of traditional cultural practices, reverence for the influences and styles of the Masters of Art, and an authentic voice of his own – one that intermingles the former and latter in presenting his own outburst of rarity and revelation, in all grandeur.