Sri Lankan Artist Raja Segar's Debut Exhibition 'Rhythmic Sagas' In Delhi Is A Dance Between Geometry And Music, He Calls It "Cultural Diplomacy"

When Sri Lankan artist Raja Segar paints, rhythm becomes more than a concept. It becomes a pulse that flows through every brushstroke. His figures, composed of refracted planes and geometric contours, seem to dance to visible tunes. His latest ongoing exhibition titled Rhythmic Sagas in New Delhi features this visual symphony to Indian art lovers for the first time. He beautifully interprets the language of music through colours, forms, and emotions.

The story behind this inspiration, he says, began serendipitously when Shashank Maurya, the founder of IndiGalleria, visited Sri Lanka and came across Segar's coffee table book on paintings. "He was impressed by the images of my paintings on music. This is how he selected a theme for this exhibition," recalls Segar. He hopes that the audience will be impressed "by the way I interpret music in my art."

The Language of Colour

For the title, he says, it encapsulates the sense of movement and continuity that runs through his visual language. His paintings are not static but alive with motion, expressing a visual melody. "I can easily maintain the flow of rhythm in my style of painting as I play with colours and strokes which are imaginative," flaunts the artist, whose artworks are instantly recognisable for their distinctive blend of cubism and figurative abstraction. He calls this style Segarims. But what makes his work different is his use of refractive geometry inspired by science.

"I like the subject geometry. The geometrical forms draw me towards this figurative expression. Also, the refraction of light in Physics, when the light travels through different densities, influenced my style of Segarism, the refractive effect in cubism," he explains, and says that his colours are also not meticulously pre-planned but chosen by mood. It is this spontaneity in his work that gives his paintings an emotive energy that allows viewers to feel rather than analyse the rhythm within.

From Greeting Cards to Galleries

Growing up in Sri Lanka, Segar started his artistic journey by making handmade greeting cards. He was influenced by the sights, stories, and spiritual undercurrents of his homeland. "My everyday experience in Sri Lankan life always influences my art," confesses the painter. "This played a primary part at the very beginning when I was making my own greeting cards, which subsequently turned into paintings," he recalls.

This everyday intimacy with Sri Lankan life continues to inspire his work. Even the tragedies that shook the nation find space on his canvas. One of the paintings that he holds dear is Execution of Rizana, inspired by the real-life story of Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan maid executed in Saudi Arabia "for a crime she did not commit."

The Evolution of a Style

Unlike many artists who prefer to create exhibitions around specific themes, Segar admits he rarely begins with a predetermined concept. "Usually, I do not work on a theme for my exhibition. My technique usually evolves with the time in order to avoid redundancy," expresses the artist. He says this constant evolution has kept his art fresh and relevant as the rhythm, colour, and emotional texture continuously transform. In his latest work, though music is his new muse, the underlying philosophy remains the same – emotions and human connections expressed through the purity of form.

Art transcends language and geography, and Segar has no different opinion. When asked whether he sees art as a form of cultural diplomacy, he nods positively. "Art itself is a cultural diplomacy because it has no language barrier. Trends differ from country to country. However, the general theme is the human body in my paintings." Having exhibited across continents, Segar has witnessed how art bridges divide. "Information technology made the dividing line very narrow between the artistic engagement between Asia and the West," observes the artist.

Where: LTC, Bikaner House, New Delhi

Entry: Open for all

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