Bevis Bawa
| Bevis Bawa | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 April 1903 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Died |
18 September 1992 (aged 89) Bentota, Sri Lanka |
| Residence | Bentota, Sri Lanka |
| Occupation | Aide-de-Camp, Landscaper, horticulturalist |
Major Bevis Bawa (26 April 1909 – 18 September 1992) was a Sri Lankan soldier and an artist. He was also one of the most renowned landscape architects in Sri Lanka and the Aide-de-camp to four Governors of Ceylon.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Bevis Bawa was born on 26 April 1909 in Colombo, the eldest son of Justice Benjamin William Bawa (1865–1923), a wealthy and successful lawyer, of Muslim and English parentage, and Bertha Marianne née Schrader (1876–1946), who was of mixed German, Scottish and Sinhalese descent. His younger brother was Geoffrey Bawa (1919–2003), regarded as being one of the most important and influential Asian architects of the twentieth century.
Bawa was educated at Royal College Colombo, but had to leave school at seventeen when his father died while in England. Bevis took up the management of the family estates.
Military career
In 1929 Bawa was commissioned as an officer in the Ceylon Light Infantry, a reservist regiment of the Ceylon Defence Force, later gaining the rank of Captain. In 1934, Bawa was appointed as Aide-de-camp to Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs and went on to serve on the staff of Sir Andrew Caldecott, Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore and Lord Soulbury until 1950. He retired from the Ceylon Army with the rank of Major.
Landscaping
He in inherited a 2 ha (4.9 acres) rubber plantation, originally acquired by his father, Benjamin which was bequeathed by his mother in 1929. Bevis who went about clearing the property then creating and designing his home and garden. Bevis offered sanctuary to a number of Sri Lankan artists including Laki Senanayake, Ena de Silva, the dancers Chitrasena and Vajira and designer Barbara Sansoni. He also played host to a number of international visitors including Lawrence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, the Duke of Windsor, Agatha Christie and Australian artist Donald Friend (who originally planned to stay for a week and ended up staying for six years). Bawa employed 15 gardeners to help create and maintain his gardens. He also dabbled in art and sculpture. Bawa continued to develop the property until his death aged 89 on 18 September 1992. He left his estate to his workers and Brief Gardens went to his head gardener. The gardens are open to the public and have become a popular tourist destination.[4]
Notable works
- Brief Gardens
References
- ↑ BAWA – Family #1251
- ↑ Garden of Brief
- ↑ Bevis Bawa on Bevis Bawa’s ‘Brief’
- ↑ Gunawardena, Dulshani (24 April 2010). "Bevis: The Bawa of Brief". The Daily News. Retrieved 1 January 2015.