Tissa Ranasinghe : His Work Like all serious artists, Tissa refuses to 'explain' his works, which should be allowed to speak for themselves and at the same time remain open to the interpretation of the viewers. However, thoughtful friends have asked me to provide some notes, not on what Tissa's art'means', but on how it works. First of all, Tissa's works are not necessarily religious; they are open to various interpretations. For instance'Self Mortification'(No. 1) might be Prince Siddhatta (the Buddha-to-be) when he mortified his flesh, or it might be anyone in an agony of striving. Similarly'Ardhanarishwara' (No.7) might be the god Shiva in his androgenous form; it might also represent man divided within himself., or human love with all its conflicts, complexities and ambiguities. Second, Tissa deals with energy or power, which can take two different directions. In his more obviously Buddhist works, the energy is concentrated within, gathering at the centre, as in 'Self Mortification' (No. 1) and 'Enlightenment' (No.5). T' Iis also happens in his 'Lovers' (Nos. 10, 1 1, 12). In contrast, in his works of Hindu inspiration (for instance 'The Dance' No.9 and 'Peacock & Rider' No.23) the energy explodes outwards. The viewer must interpret these contrasting flows of energy for himself. Third, Tissa does not suppose that the achievement of the Buddha was an easy one. Enlightenment was not gained by sitting with a calm smile beneath the Bodhi tree. It was the result of an immense and desperate struggle with himself, his fears, desires and weaknesses, of which Mara is only the symbol. Tissa therefore dares to show the Buddha in distress and wounded as in 'Mara Yuddha' (No.4). 'Enlightenment' (No.5) provides Tissa's clearest interpretation of the Buddha's achievement. His victory was not over an external adversary (Mara) but over himself. The mask of his own features lies fallen at his feet, the illusion of self finally tom away. Tissa's work is open to numberless interpretations. It is not only Buddhist, or Asian, or religious. It is universal and timeless, and the thoughtful viewer may find all sorts of meanings in it that I have missed. Real art is not'art for art's sake', nor for moral or social improvement. It is a magic mirror in which one can see the most extraordinary things, some nice, some nasty, all vital to our understanding of what it means to be human. Michael Wright Matichon Newspaper Bangkok