On October 21, Colombo art lovers would have the opportunity of viewing as well as purchasing, some of the work of the 43 Group, as well as other artists, some of whom exhibited with the 43 Group. The 43 Group was led by photographer Lionel Wendt whose key members included Harold Pieris, Aubrey Collette, Richard Gabriel, George Keyt, Justin Daraniyagala, Ivan Peiris, George Beling, L. T. P Manjusri and George Claessen. Writers have described this Group as the first modernist, creative painters with free expression. They were inspired by their surroundings,some by their religious beliefs, though each 
painted in different styles. Some of these artist have exhibited overseas, a few earning International recognition for their work. The other artist on exhibit include some who have exhibited with the 43 Group, as well as other local and foreign artist namely, Neville Weereratne, Laki Senanayake, Stanley Kirinde, Nalini Jayasuriya, G S Fernando, Cora De Lang, Ramsay Ong, Ranjith Fernando, Donald Friend, TissaRanasinghe, S Doraisamy, W.S. and N.L De Mel, Dorothy Fernando and Donald Ramanayake.
The exhibition will be held from October 21 to 22 from 9 am to 7 pm at the Nelung Art Centre. The collection of art belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Shamil Peiris of Kandy, who are no strangers to the local art world. The work exhibited would be under “The Taprobane Collection”. The Taprobane Collection has been built over a period of 40 years and consists of both figurative, and modern works, includes line drawings, wood cuts, and mixed medium work including sculpture. Some of the art of the Taprobane Collection have been featured at a number of exhibitions in Sri Lanka and abroad as well as being documented in a number of books of featured artists of Sri Lanka. The more recent exhibitions of the Taprobane Collection have been on the work of the late Richard Gabriel (In 2014 at The Alliance Française de Kandy) and H. A. Karunaratne known as the Father of Sri Lankan Abstract Art also at the same venue.
Coincidentally the Nelung Art Centre (NAC) complex is the brainchild of Niloufer Pieris the niece, of the late Harry Pieris. Harry Pieris was an artist himself, who played a leading role in fostering the 43Group Ms. Pieris considers him her mentor and the NAC is a tribute to her parents and Uncle Harry, promoting Art Education and Education through the Arts.. A few paintings by Harry Pieris will also be on view.
This is the first time the Taprobane Collection would be exhibiting a large body of work in Colombo, giving art lovers and students of art an opportunity of viewing some of the wide and varied work of the artists featured. Hopefully this would become an annual event in Colombo.
A small selection of rare antiquarian maps and prints on Ceylon and “impossible to find” rare books on Art and History including the famous book on George Keyt by Martin Russell (1950), Ceylon by Lionel Wendt, the landmark Numbered First Edition book on Art and Craft by Ananda Coomaraswamy (1908) and the first ever book in English on Ceylon by Robert Knox (1681) and some other rare books will also be presented.
(Pictures of work featured, belong to the Taprobane Collection)