FACULTY OF VISUAL ARTS

Brief History Ceramics Department

Craft Subject were introduced to the Art Ceylon Technical College in the year 1896. In 1933 These subject were conducted in collaboration with the Government Department of Small Industries of Ceylon.

The Art and Craft Department of Ceylon Technical College developed rapidly owing to the avenues of employment open to art students as teachers both in art and craft schools as well as in Craft centers. In year 1943 the Department produced 30 teachers for art and craft. A Board of Moderators was appointed in 1946 to draw up the syllabuses and also to deal with all other matters in eight different crafts. Pottery was one of them. Mr D.F.Ranasinghe ,taught as a Sculptor and a sculptor and a potter. Mr P.A Karunarathne joined the Art and Craft Department of Ceylon Technical Collage as a pottery instructor in 1948.

After the Second World War, the Department of Art and Craft of Ceylon Technical College was shifted in 1949 to the ‘Heywood Building’ at Horton Place, Colombo 07. Mr.Sivaramalingam joined the department from Small Industries as a ceramic and glaze expert in the same year. Mr .P.V.Tissera joined the department in 1950 as a ceramic expert.

The Department of Arts & Crafts of Ceylon Technical College at Colombo 07, separated from Ceylon Technical College in 1952 and was upgraded as the ‘Government Institute of Art.

In 1953 the Institute was rename as the ‘Government School of fine Art’ and was announced as an independent Department under the Ministry of Education. In 1960 it was again upgraded under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as ‘Sri Lanka National institute of independent Collage under the Ministry of Education as ‘Government Collage of Arts and Crafts. ‘The institute of Aesthetic Student was created as a degree awarding institute in 1974 and the subject of pottery went under the Design Course. Mr. D.P.J. Jayadeva joined as a pottery instructor in 1975.

In the year 2005 the Institute of Aesthetic Studies was up graded as an independent university, namely University of the Visual and Performing Arts. Department of Ceramics was established at Horten Place premises under the Faculty of Visual Art of University. It’sfirst Head of Department was Mr.D.P.J.Jayadeva.