dancers and drummers from the Kandy area: Suramba and his brother Jayana from Anumugama village, Ukkawa and his brother Gunaya from Nittawela. These artists will be among the most talented and well-known representatives of Kandyan dance. Lionel Wendt is the extremely dedicated patron of a group of painters. He buys some of their works, organizes exhibitions, and publicly defends these painters in the newspapers. On August 29, 1943, The '43 Group was founded in Colombo, with Lionel Wendt as leader. The inaugural meeting of the group is held at his home. The aim was to bring together independent artists such as George Keyt, Ivan Peries and Justin Daraniyagala, now recognised as among the best representatives in Asia of the modernism of the mid-20th century. Disappearance Lionel Wendt died of a heart attack in Colombo on 19 December 1944. The Lionel Wendt Art Centre was established on the site of his home, 18 Guilford Crescent. As was common in the profession, Wendt's negatives were destroyed by an fellow photographer. A small number of his prints, however, survived him. References Further reading External links SONG OF CEYLON Lionel WENDT – National Gallery of Australia Lionel Wendt web site in The Netherlands Art Direct From The Artist-Nude Lionel Wendt Various articles and links about Lionel Wendt on www.suravi.fr 1900 births 1944 deaths Alumni of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Burgher artists Burgher lawyers Burgher musicians Ceylonese advocates Members of the Inner Temple People of British Ceylon Sri Lankan people of Dutch descent Sri Lankan photographers Sri Lankan pianists 20th-century pianists 20th-century Sri Lankan painters