Sumitra Peries: Her Real Contribution
Sumitra Peries’s 90th birthday would have been on March 24. When she passed away in January 2023, she had not quite turned 88. By that time she had reached and passed the…
Arts and Theatre
The Life and Work of a Master Artist and Teacher
A. Mark was an eminent artist and teacher who played a significant role in the artistic and cultural heritage of the Tamil community. He was born in 1933 in Gurunagar, Jaffna and…
Justice in Flames: Art as Resistance in Sri Lanka’s Crisis
Anomaa Rajakaruna’s documentary on the aragalaya, was filmed in 2022 when Sri Lanka faced an unprecedented economic crisis. Fuel shortages led to long lines at gas stations and electricity cuts extended for…
Jagath Weerasinghe Explores Sri Lankan Identity and Global Challenges
In his new exhibition at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, contemporary artist Jagath Weerasinghe engages in a thought provoking dialogue about the significance of creating art that resonates with current issues rather than…
Embracing Nature’s Transformative Powers in Fallow
Fallow is a word often associated with inaction or unproductivity. In Layla Gonaduwa’s latest exhibition at Curado Art Gallery, the term fallow undergoes a nuanced reevaluation shedding light on its purpose as…
The Art of a Cup of Tea
Arulraj Ulaganathan unveiled his first solo exhibition , presenting his journey as a member of the Malaiyaga Tamil tea plantation worker community. Through his art, Arulraj captures the past, present and future…
Meta-Real: Provoking Thought on Reconciliation, Healing and Change
Prof. Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s annual memorial exhibition to commemorate Black July is showing at the Saskia Fernando gallery. serves as a link between past and present, providing a reflective examination of Sri Lanka’s…
Hashan Cooray’s Dystopia: Hope, Justice, Peace and Good Lives
In his exhibition at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, Hashan Cooray explores societal and political challenges through a metaphorical lens. It features paintings and two installations that confront the complex relationship between an…
Firi Rahman Explores Migration, Belonging and the Meaning of Home
Firi Rahman grew up with parrots so he is familiar with their looks and understands their habits. On a visit to Paris, it seemed as if the parrots from Colombo had followed…
Vaishnavee: Sumitra Peries’ Feminist Swansong
The French Embassy screened Vaishnavee at the National Film Corporation, the last in a series of cultural items commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and Sri Lanka. The finale…
German Artist Otto Dix Depicts the Horrors and Futility of War
Artists and writers throughout the ages have depicted the horrors of war in graphic detail in their work. From Wilfred Owen’s poems about World War I to Picasso’s painting Guernica on the…
Art as Catalyst: Commemorating Tragedy and Advocating Change
Art is a powerful medium of expression that is incorporated by activists and advocates across multiple cultures and spaces to commemorate and establish a sense of permanent memorialization of history. In Sri…
Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s Three Exhibitions to Mark 40 Years of Black July
Since 1997, barring 2005, artist, sculptor, teacher and activist Professor Chandraguptha Thenuwara has been commemorating the horrific events of July 1983 in a series of exhibitions designed to make sure that people…
Remains of the Day: 9.5.22
On this day, one year ago, I was alone in my studio working intensely on some paintings totally unaware of the chaos emerging and gathering momentum in my city, where government supporters…
Kamala Vasuki: Bringing Truth Through Art
Kamala Vasuki is an artist and feminist activist who has continuously reacted and responded to oppressive, marginalizing and silencing mechanisms through her social action and her expressions through art. The work she…
