Genesis – a survivor’s tale

By Saskia Fernando

Rosemary Samarasinghe-Amiet has lived in Sri Lanka for 23 years. After surviving breast cancer and discovering a talent she believed she always had within herself, she will exhibit her first series of artworks at The Gallery Café.

Rosemary is an inspiration to all women who have been diagnosed with cancer; it is through her sheer strength and will to confront this turning point in her life that Rosemary is today a survivor.

By the beach in Bentota, the place where Rosemary spent her time recovering from chemotherapy, we had a discussion on how she was drawn to art and the inspiration behind this, her first exhibition.

Q: When did your interest in art begin?

A: It is something which I just I always felt I had in me. I knew I was going to do something creative. I can’t say I saw myself as being a talent but I always knew once my kids were older I was going to start painting/be more creative. I have a famous painter artist in my family, CunoAmiet, so I always hoped that maybe I inherited something from him.

When I turned 40 I started taking art classes and my children started getting older, I had more time. Then I fell ill and it was really the illness and what happened around it that changed something within.

 I started exploring different avenues and taking different classes until I found what I am doing today.

This was the moment where I realized I had found it and it was really nice. I still remember when I came home from an art class, I was in Switzerland and my mother said “What happened today?!” and I said, “I found it!” I found what I was looking for.

Q: So you learnt art in Switzerland?

A: Yes, I started taking classes after seeing Martin Stucki’sart and I just never looked back. I felt strongly that for the moment this was what I wanted to do and maybe it was a way of coping with my cancer and life experiences.

I really enjoy doing it, that’s all I can say.

Q: Tell me more about your teacher.

A: My teacher has given many classes over the years and people now refer to his work as “A Stucki”; they recognize his work. His name is Martin Stucki. What I also liked is that he is an artist who doesn’t thrive on the commercial nature of art.

He uses the funds from the sale of his paintings to support a charity project in Congo, Africa and helps build up an entire village. Whatever you buy from his goes to charity. I like that.

Q: What inspires you when you are working on your pieces?

A: I have to be in the mood. I can’t say I am inspired by one particular thing. What I am doing, I know is a beginning and it will evolve into something else.

 I just feel on some days that I need to do something creative. Sometimes it is sketching and sometimes it is something totally different.  It is totally new to me, I am exploring and as long as I enjoy it, I will continue to do it.

Q: What are the materials that you use?

A: They are very unusual materials, I would refer to them as building materials.

That’s the overall description I would give them. Building materials in Sri Lanka behave in a different way than they do in Switzerland (difference if humidity) and this process was good. I had to back track and rediscover the process that was not straightforward. It was challenging.

Q: How do you see yourself now doing your first exhibition?

A: I know I will continue and I hope that it will be received well, because I enjoy creating my work.

I am happy that my friends are already looking forward to the exhibition and their connection with me in itself creates this excitement.