by Dimitri Ratnayaka
(scroll down to view video)
The WINGS festival of arts had a photographic exhibition themed ‘Voice of image’, on the 8th of November at the BMICH.
The photographs at this event were those taken by children and young adults, aged between 14 and 25. These young photographers came from all over the island with a greater percentage being from rural areas such as Nallur,Hatton,Myanmarkattu, Polannaruwa, Anuradhapura etc.The cameras and photography lessons were supplied to them by the Center of Peace Building and Reconciliation or more commonly known as CPBR. The children were then asked to take photographs of what they saw in their day to day lives and the struggles of their communities.
Many of the photographs showed deep emotion and meaning, they weren’t just haphazardly photographed moments, but were given a lot of thought and effort. One image in particular is that of two young monks standing in front of a door, with the lock of the door positioned above their chest. The young photographer who captured this image said that it was to express the lock over their hearts.
There were several photographs taken by a boy in Jaffna who had lost his leg due to the recent war. This boy now uses his camera as a weapon to show to the nation and the world the struggles he and his community go through.
