George Keyt

He also claimed to be influenced by his contemporary Henri Matisse and the ancient Buddhist art and sculpture of Nagarjunakonda, Sanchi and Gandhara. The Jataka tales formed a recurring theme in many of his works. In addition to being a painter, Keyt was a poet. He outlined his perceptions and practice as a painter in a few essays on the vision of the painter. One of his most notable literary works is his translation of the Gita Govinda into English (Bombay, 1940) and Sinhalese. These translations were illustrated by his own line drawings (see Martin Russell collection and Amerasinghe-Ganendra collections).

George Keyt studied at Trinity College, Kandy. The field of work recorded is cubism. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are public. Work by George Keyt is recorded in the collections of National Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru, Harvard Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Distinctions recorded are Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Keyt was born in Ceylon, the son of Henry Kriekenbeek Keyt and Constance Evelyn née Sproule. He was educated at Trinity College (Kandy), an elite colonial school in the British public school tradition. Stemming from Anglo-Dutch Burgher origins, Keyt gave much time from an early age to drawing and the study of art and developed a consuming passion for books and reading.

In 1930 at the Ferguson Hall, Union Place, the photographer Lionel Wendt organised Keyt and fellow artist Geoffrey Beling's first exhibition. Critics considered the art ‘manifestly ridiculous and degrading’, however Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet, wrote in the Times of Ceylon that "true artists are rare in Ceylon. There are two exceptions". The exhibition also included works by Charles Freegrove Winzer, to whom Keyt and Beling were pupils. • Illustration — George Keyt − Window of Sri Lankan Pavillon at Expo 67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Keyt was a founder member of the Colombo '43 Group of Sri Lankan artists, and one of its four leading painters, along with Ivan Peries, Justin Daraniyagala and Harry Pieris. Keyt, Pieris and Lionel Wendt are also known for their efforts to popularise Kandyan dance and other Sri Lankan dance forms. Harold Peiris was his brother-in-law. Many exhibitions of his work have also been held in India, London and other European and American centres. His pictures are found in various museums and galleries abroad, as well as in private collections in Sri Lanka and throughout the world.

George Keyt is recorded as having received Member of the Order of the British Empire.