Artist Profile-Charles Perera
Charles Perera.
Redondo Beach artist Charles Perera has a solo show opening Wednesday at Ortega 21 in Redondo Beach. That’s close to where he lives, but far from where he was raised.
Perera was born in Sri Lanka, the teardrop-shaped island once known as Ceylon, just south of India. He immigrated to the United States 13 years ago after having won the Green Card lottery. “America has been good to me,” he says. “First of all, it’s a peaceful nation, and people are friendly. Everywhere you go there are the good, the bad and the ugly. You have to take that into account.”
“Amazonian II,” by Charles Perera
Growing up with the unrest in Sri Lanka, it took time to overcome the impact the drama had on his young soul. He was nine years old when the civil war broke out in 1983. “My world was turned upside down,” Perera says. “Even if I was not directly involved, the war was at the back of my mind all of the time. I was a turbulent soul living in a devastated country. People were either your friends or your enemies. These sorts of things affect you.”
Lately, Perera’s art has been taking a different direction. More and more, landscapes have been turning up on his canvases. He sees that as a sign of inner tranquility. “Art has been a self-healing process for me,” he says. “Life is a constant struggle; not a pretty picture. But art can help you to get through that struggle.”
“Brazilian Sun,” by Charles Perera
Peace and tranquility
Taking his latest landscapes into account, he knows that he has changed. “I am a phoenix rising from the ashes,” he says.
Perera wants his public to calm down, too. Through his artistic diversity he advocates nonviolence and unity between people: “I want to bring peace and tranquility to the people who look at my art. We stress and worry about so many things in life.” With regard to his own disagreeable emotions, he tries to channel them into the art. “I might have had a bad day, but then I use my colors and take them to the canvas. The art is where I find my balance between the good, the bad and the ugly. That’s how I keep my sanity, really.”
Chef and artist
As a multitalented artist, Perera believes in not taking life too seriously. “Life is a process of learning,” he points out, from birth to death. “And art is a part of that.”
He also paints, writes poems and is engaged in photography. As a former chef, educated in Switzerland, he sees similarities between art and food. “Food and art go hand in hand,” he says. Even though cooking can be hectic and stressful, Perera finds it similar to making art. “It’s all about the taste and the smell.”
Awarded
Growing up in a country of religious and cultural diversity, it has not been difficult for Perera to adjust to a new culture. The busyness, however, was something he had to get used to. He recommends that Americans relax more. Considering the fact that his art is mostly abstract, it’s especially important to bring calmness to the public. “It’s hard to enjoy abstract art if you are not relaxed.”
As an artist, Perera is pretty much self-taught, but he holds the late Reginald Pollack in Palm Springs, and Master Dimbullagala in Sri Lanka, as his most significant mentors.
Charles Perera has been in numerous exhibitions since he graduated from the Dimbullagala School of Art in Sri Lanka in 1990. He has received several awards, including the Exceptional Performance Award of the Sri Lanka Foundation, in Los Angeles.
“Mystic Journey,” featuring Charles Perera, goes on view Wednesday with a reception from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Ortega 120, located at 1814 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Redondo Beach. Through Sept. 11. Call (310) 792-4120 or go to ortega120.com.