April 14-June 14, 2009
East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu
Opening reception: Sunday, April 19, 2 p.m.
In residence April 10-20: Mask dancers of the Southern Sri Lanka Dance Company
Dramatic ritual, ribald comedy, fantastic imagery, demons, animals, kings and queens – all of these and more are interwoven into the masked performances of Sri Lanka. Through the spiritual animism of these performances, traditional values and contemporary concerns alike are conveyed in marketplaces, village centers, private courtyards, and even tourist sites.
The wealth of characters and settings in these performances is a reflection of the diverse cultural roots of Sri Lanka, which has been home to many cultural and religious traditions of the South Asian subcontinent and beyond. Sri Lanka has not only undergone changes based on this contact, but it has contributed its unique culture to the rest of Asia, particularly the spreading of Buddhism to Southeast Asia.
Co-curated by anthropologist David Blundell and East-West Center Gallery Curator Michael Schuster, this exhibition features masks, puppets and costumes of three important performance styles practiced by Sri Lanka’s majority Sinhalese ethnic-linguistic group: Tovil, or exorcist ritual mask dance; Kolam, or secular masked drama; and Rudaka, or puppet performance.
FOR MORE DETAILED BACKGROUND INFORMATION on the exhibition and Sri Lankan masked dance traditions, download a pdf brochure at:
http://arts.eastwestcenter.org/pdfs/Sri%20Lanka%20Handout.pdf
Sri Lankan Masked Dance Performance:
Sat. April 11, 8:00 p.m.
Kennedy Theatre Mainstage
Ticket Prices : $18 Regular, $16 Senior, Military, UH Faculty/Staff, $12 Student, $10 UHM student with valid Spring, 2009 ID. Prices include all fees.
Tickets on sale on-line at Etickethawaii.com, or by phone at 944-2697 (press #1), or at authorized outlets and Kennedy Theatre Box Office (M-F 10:00 am-1:00 pm; April 11 from 5:00 p.m.) For further concert information: 956-7655.
Other Special Events :
All in the EWC Gallery; admission free
Sunday, April 19, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Gala opening festivities, including exhibition walk-throughs and demonstrations
Sunday, May 3, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Illustrated lecture: “Sri Lankan Cinema: Four Stages of Growth”
Sunday, May 31, 2:00-3:45 p.m.
Sri Lankan feature film: “Dark Night of the Soul,” by award-winning director Prasanna Vithanage.
Gallery info :
East-West Center Gallery
John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road
(corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.)
Gallery hours: Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sundays Noon-4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturdays and holidays
For further information: 944-758
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
##
The East-West Center is an education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous, and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for cooperative research, education, and dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and the governments of the region.
For 25 years the EWC Arts Program has enriched the community through concerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitions focusing on traditional arts of the region, and by arranged cultural and educational tours by artists who are skilled in bridging cultures.