'…he is a universal artist, a man of vision, of musical harmonies of temperament so rare
and tender…full of hope…he is our fool who, in persisting in his folly, has become a wise
man.'
Ivan Peries speaking about Claessen.
George Claessen was born on 5 May 1909 in Colombo, then part of British Ceylon. Unlike many artists of his generation, he had no formal artistic training and was largely self-taught. His artistic journey began relatively late, around the age of 29, when he took up a job as a draughtsman at the Colombo Port Commission.
This period proved transformative. Exposure to drawing through his work and the environment around him sparked a deep creative impulse, leading him to pursue painting seriously.
In 1943, Claessen became a founding member of the influential '43 Group, a collective of avant-garde Sri Lankan artists who sought to break away from traditional academic styles and embrace modern European influences.
His early work gained attention through the 1946 publication Jataka, a collection of his drawings that showcased his distinctive style.
During World War II, one of his paintings was acquired by the War Artists' Advisory Committee and exhibited at the National Gallery in London in 1945, marking an early international recognition.
Claessen later moved to Melbourne in the late 1940s, where his style evolved toward abstraction, before settling in London in 1949, where he lived for the rest of his life. He exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale in 1956 and the São Paulo Biennale in 1959, where he won an award.
His work is known for its delicate line, abstract forms, and spiritual, introspective quality, drawing on influences from Eastern and Western traditions. In addition to painting, he published several volumes of poetry, reflecting similar philosophical themes, including Poems of a Painter (1967), Poems about Nothing (1981) and his Collected Poems (1995).
Despite exhibiting widely, he remained modest and relatively under-recognised during his lifetime, continuing his career as a draughtsman alongside his art. He died in London on 1 May 1999. He is regarded as a key figure in the development of modern and abstract art in Sri Lanka and the region.