When the new exhibition, entitled ‘The Sights of Africa', opens at Heritage House on Saturday, it will include many paintings by Sri Lankan artist Gamini Ratnavira, whose work reflects his experience as a conservationist, scholar and expedition leader.

Mr. Ratnavira's understanding of nature was honed while he was a collector of entomology specimens for a Smithsonian Institute project, and as a naturalist tour guide for international visitors to his native country. His first solo exhibition in 1982 was rapturously received in Sri Lanka, and subsequently in Europe. Today he lives in California and continues to exhibit across the United States. His work has also been reproduced on china plates, and he as recently been juried into the prestigious Society of Animal Artists.

Mr. Ratnavira has just completed a series of 54 paintings on the endangered species of Texas, and is currently working on a collection of paintings for a solo travelling educational exhibition on the rain forest.

He has illustrated a bird breeders' book entitled ‘Lories and Lorikeets in Aviculture', and has also produced a limited collector's edition book on hummingbirds, each page of which is coloured by hand. A second hand-coloured book featuring the trogans of the world is underway.

In addition to his art, Mr. Ratnavira leads ecological and wildlife viewing tours into the Amazon rain forest region, and is also devoting time to teaching art in his gallery as well as providing an introduction to art and nature at a Californian school.

‘Sights of Africa' will also include carvings by self-taught artists from all over the continent, and photographs by Bermudian Nancy Murphie taken on safari. The exhibition will continue for two weeks in the same building as Fly Bridge Tackle on Church Street opposite the bus terminal. For further information ( 295-2615.