Depths of Silence: Manaram Gamage

The emotional terrain of isolation finds physical embodiment in Manaram Gamage’s Depths of Silence, rendered with a raw immediacy and sensitive engagement with the artist’s chosen materials. The perseverance of the sculptor's hand clashes with the natural resistance of his chosen materials in Gamage’s approach to sculpture. In this tension, guided by touch and instinct, the artist traces the psychological contours of isolation as they are transposed onto the human body. The figure in Gamage’s sculptures — seemingly void of gender and poised in states of contemplation stands as a recurring motif, not as an idealized form but as a vessel moulded and eroded by lived experience. Departing from the anatomical precision of classical sculpture tradition, the artist favours the evocative potential of the body, manifesting internal states through his alterations.

 

In Rooted Silence figures emerge – almost emerging forth from blocks of resin as amorphous beings suggestive of both the corporeal and the cerebral. Their postures hover between states of stillness and strain, inviting consideration; is the figure perched in contemplation or contorted by an unspeakable anguish? Stripped of any facial features and expressive cues, the sculptures occupy a state of ambiguity. Their emotional state cannot be immediately deciphered instead conveyed through the texture and depth of the sculptural forms.

 

In Pensive, ambiguity pervades through a series of uncanny cement busts, their surface bearing a molten quality appearing at once solid and unstable. The deliberate distortion of the artist renders the facial features eroded and collapsed, as if weighed down by the crushing forces of the psyche. The resulting facade captures both a sense of disquiet and vulnerability.

 

 In Gamage’s interpretations the bust, traditionally a form of portraiture intended to commemorate, transforms into a site of psychological ruptures, confronting the instability of the self in solitude.

 

Constructed and cast in four parts, Gamage’s life size resin sculpture presents a headless visage devoid of all familiarity – a lone figure that embodies the reverberations of a solitary existence. A steel frame coils around the figure, a barrier which the viewer must peer through – toying with the dichotomy of display and obscurity. Gamage skilfully manipulates the exterior of the resin mixtures to create a contrast, transitioning from textured to polished surfaces that achieve a visual balance.

 

 Influenced by Auguste Rodin’s expressive forms yet pushing toward a more abstract and experimental language, Gamage invites viewers to engage with his sculptural figures not solely as representations of self, but as reflections of a shared solitude.

 

In contrast to his sculptural language, Gamage’s paintings offer a restrained counterpoint. Expressive yet measured, these works document the private domicile of the solitary mind. Executed with a minimal use of colour, muted tones of brown and black dominate the compositions, occasionally disrupted by contrasting accents of red or blue, mirroring dueling emotions of anger and sadness. (Canvas works)

 

Echoing the themes of his sculptures the male figure remains central, rendered with a reserved sensuality. At times the posture and emphasis of the line draws the eye to the intimate anatomy of the body, heightening the viewer’s awareness to the physical and emotional exposure that reverberates through each composition. (before the grid of 9)

 

Gamage’s visual language engages in a continuous tussle between concealment and revelation, using intense gestural movements that evoke emotional states while occupying spaces of ambiguity. Broad impastos shroud the faces of the subjects in the series Faded offering only hints of expression as if the emotions are on the verge of emerging yet are unable to break through the surface tension. (Paper works)

 

Depths of Silence reflects Gamage’s instinctual process of creation as it emerges from sketches and studies, evolving through the physical negotiation of material and form.Through a  sustained inquiry into the nature of solitude, Gamage invites viewers into a space where the body becomes a site of emotional resonance – carrying, concealing and revealing the depths of the psyche.

 

Manaram Gamage (b.1997) holds a BVA (Hons) in Visual and Performing Arts from the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo (2022). He presented his first solo exhibition at Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo (2024).