1. Nirmala de Alwis - “I first met Mr. Cedric de Silva when I had been asked to show my work to the Trustees of the George Keyt prior to their exhibition to be held at the National Art Gallery in 1994. All of the Trustees looked very friendly, yet commanding and serious. Mr. Cedric de Silva, as the Chairman, immediately put me at ease when he praised my work and when one of the Trustees even reserved one of my paintings, I was relieved.
Since then, I have been participating in most of their shows, the Nawa Kalakaruwo, the Kala Pola and Young Artists. It has been a very fulfilling journey, and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the wonderful couple Mr. and Mrs. Cedric de Silva. They are the very essence of the foundation. My most memorable times have been at the Art Camps organized by them, where we have travelled out to the dry zone of Sri Lanka, and spent days of relaxed and inspiring times, with fellow artists and come out with some of our best work.
As artists we will always be in their debt, and their circle of influence has been great in the bigger picture. Many of us have been able to reach fame and recognition thanks to this foundation and the untiring efforts of Mr. de Silva and his team. I would be remiss if I don’t mention Harriet, the pillar of the foundation who works so tirelessly to make every show better than the one before. So it is indeed fitting that we should usher in Mr. de Silva’s 85th birthday and wish him the very best in health and happiness and may the foundation continue under his guidance for many more years to come.”
2. Jayantha Silva - “Cedric De Silva has received a life’s milestone of 85 years. Many a successful Artists of Sri Lanka will raise a glass in cheer and wish him all the very best for the yeoman services he has rendered for the budding Artists. He was the Architect in the now very popular ‘Kala Pola’ (Sri Lanka’s Annual Open Air Art Fair which commenced in 1993). Also his influence helped Nava Kalakaruwo and the Sri Lankan Art forum. His advice and free guidance is always available to up-and-coming Artists. My annual Exhibition of “Expressions” was held at the Lionel Wendt for the past thirteen years. Especially at the start his guidance and advice I found indispensable. ‘Behind every successful man there is a Lady and in Cedric’s case it is good wife, Sita De Silva.’”
3. Channa Ekanayake - “People have been known to make a rich life for themselves and others with very few possessions. Many can do loving deeds, rare is the person who can think loving thoughts. Mr. Cedric is that type of rare person to me. The secret of my survival as a professional artist is directly connected with his deep commitment to the visual art field in Sri Lanka.”