Essay: George Keyt- In Search of a Desired Image By Uditha Devapriya

In this essay, Uditha Devapriya captures the journey of renowned Sri Lankan artist George Keyt.

Rasa Lila, George Keyt – Oil on Canvas – 1936 – 59.5 x 102 cm
Courtesy: Taprobane Collection

George Keyt (1901-1993), Sri Lanka’s most internationally renowned artist, remains one of Asia’s leading exponents of modern art. Over the course of 70 years, he painted prolifically. His works have found their way to some of the most extensive art collections in the country. Many have been featured in international auction houses, such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Wherever they are and they may be, these paintings have become more than status symbols to hang on one’s walls; they have become symbols of a historical moment.

In his lifetime, Keyt became the subject of several studies. He lived to see at least two acclaimed books done on him: his close friend Martin Russell’s George Keyt (Bombay 1950), and his contemporary the bibliographer and librarian H. A. I. Goonetileke’s George Keyt: A Life in Art (Colombo 1989). The first of these was published by Marg, the magazine founded in 1946 by the Indian novelist and cultural icon Mulk Raj Anand.