Sri Lankan Contemporary Art
Serendipity Revealed Contemporary Sri Lankan Art Curated by Annoushka Hempel
9 th October - 20th December 2014 BRUNEI GALLERY, LONDON Foreword Curators’ Note
SriLankan Airlines, as the national carrier of Sri Lan- SERENDIPITY REVEALED: ka, is immensely pleased to support the budding A POST WAR PERSPECTIVE Sri Lankan artists whose selected works of art are featured in the much anticipated exhibition, “Se- rendipity Revealed.”, unveiled at the Brunei Gallery, When looking at the contemporary art of a London. country like Sri Lanka, it is impossible to do so without engaging with the island’s recent his- “Serendipity Revealed” presents an assortment of tory. Sri Lanka has seen historical events that Sri Lankan contemporary art, displayed in various have marked the country, its people and its mediums such as sculpture, installation, video, pain- artists. When observing the art, the viewer is ting and photography. Even though traditional Sri presented with a narrative that not only takes Lankan art has evoked much interest globally, the a macrocosmic view telling the stories of a world is yet to explore our contemporary art that country and its people, but also focuses on the emerged during and following the years of conflict; micro-cosmic levels of individuals and their per- that is thematically and contextually diverse. As sonal experiences. much as art reveals the hidden sides of a culture, Serendipity Revealed presents the works of it inspires the viewer and the art enthusiast to ex- fourteen carefully selected artists, to unveil plore more into a country’s hidden artistic traits. some of the multitude of stories the country Hence, the viewers, apart from the knowledge of and its people have witnessed. the existence of such art, will know the existence It is therefore not surprising that Memories fea- of such a country; the very land where the inspi- ture significantly as a theme in many of the ar- ration for such art originated from. As the national tists’ works, particularly those stemming from carrier we have been extending our patronage to Annoushka Hempel the 90’s trend. the local talent showcased through such platforms, This is evident from the works of Pushpakuma- which in return inspires the viewers to explore its from the comfort of his home - the dominant ra - filled with the motif of barbed wire, an in- country of origin. Sinhalese South - and placing himself in the Tamil cessant memory of a boy growing up surroun- town of Jaffna in the North, a territory filled with ded this familiar material - to Bandu Manamperi’s I consider it a pleasure to be part of this exhibition, memories of conflict and violence and now ex- works speaking of how memories of events organized by Colombo Art Biennale in collaboration periencing a transient and unknown future. Anoli live within our being and shape and form us with Hempel Galleries, who have been working tire- Perera takes on the role of the female - tradition lessly to support and promote budding local artists as a ‘people’ and a ‘nation’. His Iron Man works and traditional values in relation to gender, colo- and I would like to wish them all the success and speak of attempts to remove the creases left nialist remains and memory keeping. The expan- strength to continue such endeavours. behind by memories. se of her memory stretching defines her need to I also would like to wish these artists all the very In Kingsley Gunatillake’s unreadable books, we recall in her work, the period of colonial Sri Lan- best and I hope that this may serve a crucial miles- learn of censorship and the idea of ‘re-writing ka (Ceylon) of which her parents were a part. tone in their careers. history’ - the presence of physical bullets still These narratives evolve with a younger genera- dominating stories to be known. The works of tion of artists who speak less of the political civil On behalf of all Sri Lankans, I would like to invite Pala Pothupitiye speak of the individual’s po- conflict and war, and more of the socio-political you to enjoy and appreciate this carefully selected sition in society, the Sri Lankan caste system, conflicts and tensions driven by traditional va- collection of Sri Lankan art and I hope you travel to the effects this has on the individual and in turn lues. These artists - mostly in their 30’s - have the island that is symbolized, reflected and illustra- the effects it has had on the country and a not been exposed first hand to the violence of ted in what you view today, in the near future. nation as a whole. In his map works, we see the conflicts. how a land is literally reshaped and formed by The works of Danushka Marasinghe speak of Mr. Kapila Chandrasena status, religion and the effects of colonialism the fragility of a new ‘peaceful’ time, the linge- Chief Executive Officer and nationalism. Pradeep Thalawatte attempts ring fear of the recent past, the looming eyes SriLankan Airlines to recount his experience of removing himself that keep watch over this new and unfamiliar uncertainty of a serene and prosperous future. highlights the different meanings that photogra- Artists Reginald Aloysius He asks whether it is possible to erase history, phy, identity, history and the notion of memory as it always leaves marks. Janananda Laksiri’s occupy within non-western cultures. She looks works are a powerful representation of life’s at identity, heritage and the differences in per- challenges, the urban jungle of life. Buddhist and ceptions towards cultural and social doctrines Liz Fernando Hindu images, as well as bats and crows repre- and dogmas. senting bureaucratic and political scavengers, Finally, further unfolding and revealing the sto- fill the canvas. His works, highly charged with ries of a country, would not be complete wit- Kingsley Gunatillake energy and emotions, take the viewer beyond hout the view and perspective of the visitor. personal despair to focus on the broader issu- Cora de Lang, a travelling artist, spent six ye- es of society. Vimukthi Jayasundera, an artist ars working in Sri Lanka. Her work spins ta- who uses film as his medium, takes a contem- les, combining her views and observations as Vimukthi Jayasundera porary view of social traditional practices. His a nomadic traveller, moving from one culture work plunges the viewer into a visual feast that to another. Her airline flight bags, beautifully erases the borders between fiction and docu- ‘decorated’, subconsciously and perhaps inad- Janananda Laksiri mentary to deliver an experience of a culture vertently mark the stories of mothers, fathers, directly to the senses. sons and daughters, leaving their families to ‘Serendipity Revealed’ attempts to further unra- work and live in the Middle East to send money vel stories through the visual narratives of the home in the hope of facilitating a better life for Cora de Lang diaspora and views from another world. their families. Mahen Perera’s objects - sometimes reminis- In unfolding and exposing some of the myriad cent of cabinet curios left behind from the co- of experiences and stories, Serendipity Revealed Bandu Manamperi lonial era - but also evocative of rubble either attempts to give a glimpse into the depth of a left behind by the war or newly created for de- fascinating country that has witnessed immen- velopment. His time spent away in Singapore se change. have impacted on his sensitivities to the beauty Nina Mangalanayagam of ‘his’ country in all its rawness Reginald Aloysius’ experiences – being of Sri Lankan Tamil descent from Jaffna but having Dhanushka Marasinghe lived in the UK all his life - have led him to inves- By Annoushka Hempel tigate cultural change and diaspora through the exploration of the iconography of Sri Lankan and Southern Indian temples, thereby investiga- Anoli Perera ting the social agency inherent in any cultural choice. Nina Mangalanayagam, also of Sri Lan- kan Tamil descent and from Sweden but living Mahen Perera in London, takes a personal direction, using her own experiences and family background to explore the fluidity and unfixed nature of iden- tities, the interplay of influence among identity, Pala Pothupitiye family, society, and environments. In doing so, she exposes the complications of differences between people, shaped by the immediate Koralegedara Pushpakumara environment as well as past experience and history. Similarly, Liz Fernando, of Singhalese descent, but having grown up in Europe, delves into the role of photography in South Asia and Pradeep Thalawatta Reginald Aloysius
Reginald S. Aloysius is a British-born artist of Sri Lan- kan Tamil descent whose background has informed his work exploring themes of globalisation, emigra- tion, and the destruction of tradition through deve- lopment and modernisation. Through exploration of the iconography of Sri Lankan and Southern Indian temples, Aloysius investigates the social agency in- herent in any cultural choice.
Aloysius graduated from The Ruskin School, Oxford before completing a Masters at Kingston University on a research-based drawing programme. Following a successful first solo show at Master Piper in 2010, Aloysius was short listed for the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011, the Discerning Eye Exhibition 2011 and more recently, was included in the London Art Fair 2012, the National Art Competition 2012, Zeitgeist Art Projects Open 2012 Breeze Block Gallery, Oregon, USA, and was a joint award winner at the One Church Street Gallery Drawing Open 2012; he participated in the Colombo Art Biennale 2014. Aloysius has also Commercial flight paths are, of course, also migra- been short listed for the inaugural Derwent Drawing tory routes. The ‘paintings’ are maps that pick out Prize, to be exhibited this September. the routes of contemporary Tamil culture. Originally maps were intuitive and symbolic rather than carto- “Detailed drawings of Indian Hindu temples coupled graphic: they were drawings that expressed an idea with a delicate use of paint create an alluring relation- of place rather than a definition of space. There is a ship between drawing and painting”. conceptual continuity in the work between the idea of drawing and the concept of making one’s mark, of The Hindu temples in the work are examples of Dravi- recording and inscribing one’s subjectivity. They may dian architecture looming out from the undergrowth, also be seen as lines that threaten to turn the surety (drawing parallels with early colonial photographers of national identity into the shifting, nomadic identity in Asia, eg; Linneus Tripe, Henri Mouhet or Samuel of transnational cultures. Byrne) but they are not ‘ruins’; they are still active places of worship. Drawing relates to other processes of cultural mark making, including the introduction of an internatio- If these works are structured according to tradition, nal style of modern architecture that inscribes itself then modernity enters through vector-like routes. on age-old landscapes and cultures. I reference such Over the top of the images, I have inscribed - etched structures in the paintings through a series of thin into the surface of the wooden support - a series of lines that suggest a tension between the old and precise lines. These lines are, in fact, based on airline the new, between the architecture of ancient temp- flight paths. They are mapped on to the works and, in les and modern skyscrapers, offices and apartments. the process radically scar them - an act that cannot These vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines (scaffol- be undone - using a scalpel, before finally painting ding of new buildings) have the quality of an invasi- ‚TRANSIT‘, Graphite drawing, etched lines, enamel and oil paint, into the grooves using Humbrol paint, thus melding on.” R.S. Aloysius together two quite different iconographic registers. gold leaf, varnish on primed MDF, 2014 Born 1970 Liz Fernando
Award-winning fine artist and photographer, Fernando is a graduate from the LCC BA photography program- me at the University of Arts, London. Fernando, who is of of Sri Lankan descent, was born, raised and educated entirely in Europe. Her research delves into the role of photography in South Asia and the resulting work highlights the different meanings each of photography, identity, history and the notion of memory, occupy within non-western cultures. Fernando’s work has been exhibited at the Tate Mo- dern and her highly acclaimed work ‘Trincomalee - My father’s stories and the lost photographs’ has recently been acquired for the permanent private collection of the World Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Liz lives and works in London, Hanover and Colom- bo.
Khrisnikaa: London, 2011: This work explores the framework of a woman’s traditional identity - her freedoms, her constrictions and the story behind a girl of South Asian origin living within the melting pot of Europe. In a contemporary social environment, the notion of identity is almost the present and the past, dealing with memories that impossible to define. Yet the question remains whe- linger and continue to haunt. ther we ever had the ability to establish identity by creating a multi-ethnic compendium of stereotypes, The Imprint of Lovers: Colombo, 2014: as opposed to a perpetual search left to the imagi- When lovers leave, nothing but light is left behind. nation. Yearning bodies unfold between these naked walls, drowning the space with memories and filling the air Trincomalee: self-published artist book, London, 2012: with a breathless touch of intimacy. And yet, even “This is a work about a journey - a journey to a their absence is so powerful that their presence re- place where the objective of a photograph ponders mains within me. The Imprint of Lovers is a personal an evolving interplay between its fragile and fugitive reflection on the perception of sexuality in aSou- existence. th Asian context. This piece of work looks into the Trincomalee in Sri Lanka became synonymous with understanding of intimate emotions of young lovers, the war-ravaged northern region. In contrast, my who are often faced with no choice but to meet in an father’s stories are not nostalgic ruminations on its extremely impersonal space, specifically a budget ho- political history but naïve and beautiful little conversa- tel room that can be rented by the hour. The thought tional episodes between a Tamil girl and a Sinhalese is not unheard of, and lovers are well aware of it as boy, describing a childhood lived in innocence free they risk even the possibility of arbitrary police raids. from existing social restrictions. It is a visual journey Intimacy is not intimate unless the setting has been to a forgotten past preserved in my mind’s eye only made to be so, and the concept, when explored in a through precious oral histories relayed by my father. contemporary yet conservative South Asian environ- Though they are at times ambiguous and ungraspable ment, tells the story of an unbearable dramatic and I have tried to formulate them into touchable and pal- melancholic catharsis that culminates in my destructi- pable pictorial narratives. The text oscillates between ve longing to have a presence. Born 1982 Khrisnikaa, 2014 Kingsley Gunatilleke
Kingsley is a painter, installation artist and book artist who received his BFA in Fine Art at the University of Colombo and Diploma in Environmental Education from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow 1994. He is currently a visiting Lecturer in Visual Art at the Fa- culty of Visual Arts of the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo.
Kingsley has had several solo exhibitions in Sri Lanka, the UK, the Philippines, Ireland, Glasgow and India. He has also participated in many group exhibitions and international artist camps both in Sri Lanka and ab- “We, who failed to understand the harmful effects of road, most recently in France, London, Lincoln (UK), ethnic discrimination in the 1915 Muslim conflict or the Asia House London, Sojo Galley Japan, Pakistan, In- 1956 Tamil conflict have suffered a 30 year civil war dia, Bangladesh and in Korea. which sprang up in 1983 with Black July. The wounds and scars caused by the brutality and violence of that Kingsley is recognised as a senior artist within the war are still visible and hurt. There are no live bullets contemporary Sri Lankan art scene that spearheaded now. However, the scars of where the live bullets the 90’s trend. The recipient of a number of national once were still remain. Do read the irreversible lunacy awards and international awards in Czechoslovakia of ethnic conflict on spent cartridges as well as in and Japan, Gunatillake‘s paintings, sculptures and In- weapon marks buried inside this book.” stallations can be found in several private collections Kingsley lives and works from his Studio in Kandy, including the President’s Collection of Contemporary Sri Lanka. Art. Born 1951 ‚Book art”
“Unfortunately you cannot have the pleasure of rea- ding these books and turning their pagers, but you will be able to read them through the materials I use. Sometimes you will be able to read deeper into the concept of these books, and sometimes you will be taken further away from them, awakening various symbolic, contextual and inter-contextual meanings.” ‘Bullet Books’ are like cartridges where ammunition is kept. Instead of letters, words and ideas that can be read, they have rather become an arsenal containing Bulletbook 1, 2014 empty ammunition that had been used at war or for killing. Communication through words in these books has been burnt by incandescent bullets that reflect rage of violence. Vimukthi Jayasundara
Vimukthi Jayasundara is an award-winning young Sri Lankan director known for his surreal films that erase the borders between fiction and documenta- ry, between cinema and visual art. After finishing his documentary ‘The Land of Silence’ (2002) about the victims of civil war, he made his directorial debut with ‘The Forsaken Land’ (2005), which won the Camera d’Or for best first feature at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jayasundara followed this with ‘Between Two Worlds’ (2009), which competed at the Venice Film Festival, and has been shown at over 100 festivals interna- tionally. His third feature ‘Mushrooms’ (2011) was se- lected for Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. In 2012 he was invited to be one of three international directors to produce a film for the Jeonju Digital Project 2012, for which he made ‘Light in Yellow Breathing Space’, which was selected for the Locarno Film Festival.
Born 1982
The Forsaken Land, 2005 Neither war nor peace, just the wind blowing ‘Light in Yellow Breathing Space’ God is absent, but still the sun rises Over a lonely home between two trees in a forsa- ken land A hand emerges from the water, begging for help A legendary woman searches for love A soldier kills a stranger, and is burdened by guilt
Between Two Worlds, 2009 The young man has fallen from the sky, the lines of communication are burned, to flee the city and its tumult, get back to nature, enter into another story, of the legend of the prince, in the hope of a love, to hide in the hollow of the tree, nothing magical is improbable, what happened yesterday may happen again tomorrow. Janananda Laksiri
Laksiri, who stems from a fine arts and design edu- cation, has been driven to explore the world of elec- tronics, IT and 2D/3D graphic software. The result reveals powerful digital art and striking multimedia installations.
His ‘Screaming Elergy’ works (2012) portray urban- scapes crowed by power poles and wires criss-cros- sing along the line of view, across which man swings through the precarious and treacherous events that life delivers. Man also treads carefully along the right- rope of life, through the challenges and chaos of the urban jungle. He is dwarfed by daunting symbolic creatures such as bats and crows and representa- tions of religious symbols that dominate, manipulate and control man’s free identity.
His ‘Mirror Images’ work, created for the 2012 Colom- bo Art Biennale, an installation of a charred power pole with a flickering streetlamp surrounded by tall mirrors parallel to each other, successfully brings the viewer into a direct experience of the how man is ignorantly asleep to his slavery to life. The mirrors serve to remind one not only of our presence but also our participation
Laksiri’s works are superbly executed and highly charged with energy and emotions that take the vie- wer beyond personal despair to focus on the broa- der issues of society. His works unashamedly force the question of ‘Who do we need to become to survive?’
Born 1979
Combustion, 2014 Photo by: Menika van der Poorten Cora de Lang ‘Lady Bags’
Cora has been part of the art scene in India, Mexico, “When I spoke initially of resistance, of carnival as a Nigeria/West Africa and Sri Lanka. Whatever art of hers means of opposition, I meant the temporary revolt relates to these „chapters“ of her life is and will remain of suppressed against suppresser representatives - I art from that place. showed that this is not happening with the sword but with the mask, with the weapon of humour, of love Richard Lang, 2014, former Colombo Goethe Institut for life with a Bacchanalian feature. Within the carnival Director culture this opposition remains suspended. Such ideas I find expressed in a pronounced way in the “Lady De Lang may be viewed as a modern transnational Bags” which I saw in Sri Lanka. When I now see these artist with a strong leaning towards magic realism, mys- lady bags in front of me, I find them fabulous as I can ticism and eclecticism. A unique blending of reality and recognize the humour, appreciate them in their sensiti- fantasy is achieved through her use of intense, vivid ve artistic understanding.” colours and archetypal images and symbols, woven Matthias Mühling into intricate, surreal patterns that are as captivating and energising as ritual music or dance. ‘Envelopes’ The media used in de Lang’s works include permanent ink, acrylic, polymer, digital collages and mixed media, It was while de Lang was living in Nigeria (1995-1999) while the surfaces range from canvas to paper bags that she started to collect envelopes containing im- and boxes. The exhibits may be broadly grouped into portant messages for her, which in turn inspired her to adorn these keepers of memories. the ritual art series, the flight bag series, the lady’s bag ‘Flight bags’ series, the paper bag series, and the pop art series “I was conscious of their presence and the long jour- neys they had undertaken, of the many hands that The spatial template for her paintings comprises seve- If you have been a passenger on any flight you may ral regions, including South America, Africa, the Indian touched them.” have found these in front of you along with the in- Cora learnt from her mother, who came from Gua- sub-continent, and Europe. Her work is multi-cultural flight magazine. Uniform and unattractive, they are to and multi-religious, for it contains elements of Christia- temala, that, as Mayan culture also suggests, people be used in emergency, just in case. Whilst quite rare pass on energy to objects when they touch them. “I nity, Hinduism, Buddhism and animism. Anoli Perera wri- nowadays, the bags are still there and often their only tes, “De Lang’s personal history is inextricably bound was aware of this when I interacted with my envelo- adornment is the name of the airline. „I spent many pes, looking for the hidden energy, deciphering and up with her work: growing up in the background of a years looking at “neglected” items of our every day political dictatorship and amidst Beatle mania, electric recreating narratives of these travelling objects. Some life, pulling them out of their corners, re-arranging them people I know would even be able to ‘read’ stories guitars and imagining of a world without boundaries, into an art environment and projecting them into new the woman from Argentina who has nurtured roots in out of them, could catch the footprints on these en- art spaces, contextualizing the created art installati- velopes, simply by touching them. What is certain is Germany, a frequent flyer within and between conti- on. Somehow I feel that these bags belong to the nents, living with a notion of impermanence in other that these envelopes are no longer simple envelopes passengers; even more, that the bags may stand for carrying a message, but have become permeated with people’s countries and cultures. This is the reality of de each of the passengers and his or her very personal Lang’s life; this is the topography of her work. All these stories of which I was always a part “. disposition on that particular flight. As there is a huge Once again, Cora presents objects that in their pristine factual markers let us process our perceptions of de variety of people on each flight, I felt myself called Lang’s work, allowing us to read them within a broad appearance are well known to the viewer, but when upon to individualize each of the bags to suggest the changed, altered and re-arranged in an artistic process, canvas. They also make her intensely cosmopolitan in uniqueness of the passenger it was meant for. You her approach to life and art.” create an astonishing new, artistically impressive dis- may find the joyous adventures of expectant tourists, play of aesthetic invitations in the eyes of the be- the anxious student on his first flight to a foreign uni- holders. Her work embraces mysticism, modernism and pop versity. You may find the labourer on his way to a Gulf art, and her passion for surreal imagery is both fierce state, the businessman carrying an important decision Cora lives and works in Munich and compelling. Her style is unconventional, and the with him, the artist on his way, or the boxer already viewer is likely to find her work extremely interesting, if envisaging his defeat. Each bag intends to suggest the not intensely appealing, as well as intellectually stimu- individual behind the traveller. Out of the uniformity of lating, given the deeply symbolic, ritualistic and iconic bags - neglected and unused - I‘ve tried to suggest the aspects of her work. multiplicity of human conditions.“ Senaka Abeyratne Circus, Flight bag, 2011 Bandu Manamperi
Bandu Manamperi holds a BFA in Sculpture and is a core member of Colombo’s Theertha Artists’ Collecti- ve. Being one of the initiators of performance art in Sri Lanka, Bandu remains one of the leading performance artists active at present. He creates highly personal art experiences based on the transformation of his own body. However he does not limit himself to any one genre; his art practice also encompasses sculpture, drawing, painting, and installation art. He lectures and consults widely on a range of topics including con- temporary art, performance, museology, and local craft traditions.
Bandu has been a leading figure in several social art projects carried out under the aegis of Theertha, inclu- ding “Let’s Take a Walk” and “Ape Gama.” The works of Bandu bring together notions of me- mory, and demonstrate how the effects of external events and doctrines are absorbed into the individual’s being through the body to create memories that be- come inscribed within us.
‘Iron Man’ 2014 Created for the Colombo Art Biennale 2014, Bandu’s rianism. It also shows an attraction to the superficial, performance-based video and photographic stills, nostalgic beauty of the past and the prosperity-preten- show him undressing and then ironing his clothes. ding neat and orderly beauty of the present. These works represent the acts of removing oneself The contemporary moment in the Sri Lankan socio- from the past and erasing memories. Ironing out the political atmosphere is a vital factor. After the end of ‘creases’ implies the creation of a new history and a the 30-year war post war, Sri Lanka is in an astonishing sanitised identity. phase of (so- called) development work. Very large “Iron Man” is a series of works that began with perfor- scale island wide road development work and con- mances at the Colombo Art Biennale in 2014 - remo- struction projects beautify the country, and for the Iron Man - In Front of Town Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2014 ving his own clothes, ironing them in public and putting eyes of the mad it has made Sri Lanka ‘The Wonder of them back on was an absurd act. He then performed Asia’. Bandu’s abnormal action of ironing, removing the this at the Dhaka Art Summit and in Jaffna, in Northern crumple marks and creases, is a symbolic representati- Sri Lanka. on of this sort of abnormal neatness, order and beau- In his ‘Iron Man’ photo performances Bandu Manamperi ty in society which conceal massive social problems is ironing his own shirt outdoors, in public spaces. Per- that lie beneath. Extreme nationalism and extreme forming a normal, private, indoor, day-to-day activity religious-nationalism are the root of these issues. in completely unexpected places, is perplexing. Why? Bandu ‘takes his body’ and performs in these very Why is he doing this abnormal act? What is he trying sensitive locations. A slight mishap could lead to a de- to say? tention. This risk-taking body and action is seen close- Bandu’s locations of choice in these photo perfor- up in his ‘Iron Man’ video performance. mance works are in front of historical colonial buildings as well as contemporary buildings and constructions. Lalith Manage, Sept 2014 The relationship between the past and present, coloni- al and contemporary, old and new, makes a statement Bandu currently lives and works in Bandaragama. that there is no great difference between the exertion of power in the colonial era of the country and after Born 1972 independence, indicating a prevailing sense of totalita- Untitled (from the series The folds of the fabric fall differently each time), 2008 Nina Mangalanayagam
Nina Mangalanayagam, of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, is a Swedish artist based in London. She uses her personal experience and family background to ex- plore the fluidity and unfixed nature of identities, the interplay of influence in identity, family, society, and environments. Through her practice she explores the experience of being “in-between” cultures and how she is perceived because of her mixed background. Nina has a Masters in Photography from the Royal College of Art and is currently doing a PhD by practice at the University of Westminster. She recently com- pleted a video commission for Radar, Loughborough University, as part of their Home/Land series, which was exhibited in Cape Town in July 2013. Other re- cent exhibitions include Entanglement at Rivington Place, International Departure - Gate 10 at Fondazi- one Fotografia and Surfacing at European Commis- son House. She received the Jerwood Photography Award and the Photoworks Graduate Award in 2005 and was short-listed for ArtsAdmin’s Decibel Visual Artist Award in 2006.
“In my practice I expose the complications of dif- ference between people, shaped by the immediate physical and cultural distance between us. Originally environment as well as past experience and history. from Sri-Lanka, my father’s family has ended up in Using the relationship I have to my own relatives and very different places in the world, living very different immediate family, I analyse how adaptation, gesture lives. I am interested in how the physical gap has and belonging impact on our identity. Through stills, created mental boundaries between us. Our different moving images and text I highlight difficulties in iden- experiences and situations in life have impacted on tities when our idea of ourselves does not corres- our sense of self. This has influenced our identity in pond to our environment or family or to the image relationship to each other, complicating relationships others have of us - and the impact this has on wider within the family. In this body of work I am analysing societal structures. my own place within this family structure and where the difficulties arise. I am an outsider and an insider at Movements and gestures help us to connect and the same time of the situations that I am photogra- communicate with people around us, but the same phing, being a part of something but yet simultane- gestures also divide people. Our movements often ously trying to make sense of my place within it.” become the inexplicable difference between people from different worlds, whether of nationality or class. Nina Mangalanayagam Our body language can act as a barrier between Born 1980 people and create misunderstandings and hostilities. In “The folds of the fabric fall differently” each time I have concentrated on the gaps between people in my own family. I am half-Tamil and half-Danish but grew up in Sweden. I had hardly any contact with my Tamil relatives as a child because of the large Danushka Marasinghe
Danushka trained at the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo and at the Digital Film Academy of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, whe- re he developed his skills in and love of animation, as well as other film techniques. This resulted in the creation of his first short film,‘R.I.P.’ His work was also influenced by participation in the ‘Art Needs Space’ project, a one year partnership programme between the Colombo Goethe-Institut and the Colombo Art Biennale, in which 25 artists were selected to take part in a collaborative public art venture. Danushka is a member of CoCA (Collective of Con- temporary Artists) which evolved from the ‘Art Needs Space’ project. His work was shown at the first ‘CoCA’ exhibition at the Colombo Goethe-Institut, and at the ‘CoCA’ CAB Around Town fringe exhibition for the 2012 Colombo Biennale, where he exhibited ‘Eyes’. This led to a solo exhibition at Theertha Red Dot Gallery in 2012, and to participation in the 2013 exhi- bition ‘War and Peace: Visual Narratives from Contem- porary Sri Lanka’. In 2014 Danushka was selected as ‘Conceal of Marks’ 2014: an individual artist for the Colombo Art Biennale for This video explores how the attempt to erase history his striking ‘Conceal of Marks’ video installation. are never simple, but always leave their own marks, Danushka’s interests lie particularly in the expressive bearing witness both to the act of erasure itself and power of the audio-visual medium to explore socio- to the agent of erasure. When a war is over, it is political issues such as violence, racism, bigotry and never over. environmentalism, and how privacy (and the lack of it) has become one of the defining issues of modern Danushka lives and works in Colombo. society.
Conceal of Marks, 2014 ‚Eyes‘ 2012: Video Installation Born 1985 “Undergarments are something we use to cover up private parts of the body. Our privacy is terribly inva- ded, making us very vulnerable. After the end of the war in Sri Lanka, there was an increased eye on citi- zens. CCTV cameras, data gathering systems, military personnel intermingling with society are some means of gathering personal data. This has been especially true for minorities and people with opposing views to the prevailing system.
If there is peace, and the war is over, then what are those ‘eyes’ looking at? Why are they looking? The issues and problems have evolved, not been solved. I feel very uncomfortable as if those ‘eyes’ are on and in my body.” Dinner Table, 2013 Anoli Perera
Anoli’s work consists of installations, paintings, sculp- ture, video and more recently, photo-performances. Hailed as the pioneering contemporary woman artist in Sri Lanka, she ushered in art informed by feminism and craft art practices. Her work engages critically with the- mes ranging from women’s issues, history and myth to identity, colonialism and post colonial anxieties.
Anoli’s work incorporates the concept of ‘bricolage’, in which fragments from different written texts, images, raw materials, objects and painted surfaces are jux- taposed to give a textured surface. She was formally trained as a stone carver and is also captivated by the processes of needle work; as a result, her art-making tends to incorporate stitching and a predominant use of fabric as raw material for her sculptures and instal- lations.
“My subject matter always comes out of various situ- ations and experiences in the social contexts I live in. Therefore my work reflects an intense social engage- ment. Over the past decade my work evolved around the subject of ‘woman’, narrated within a personal context as seen through the lens of my own family history.” Reflections on subjectivity, identity, memory gaze on the woman‘s face - an obstruction that does not allow for and history are reflected in Anoli’s work. Series of work the completion of the voyeur’s process of enjoyment. Therefore such as ‘I am the Queen’ (2001), ‘In the Entangled Web’ has captured female subjectivity in its most objectified hair-covering manifests as a protest. (2001), ‘Dinner for Six’ (2002 and 2007), ‘Comfort Zone’ (2005) and ‘Comfort Bodies’ (2009) particularly enga- ways throughout history, and across geographical and cultural borders. When I look at my own old family Chair I: Silent Sitters and White Chair II: Entombed, both explore the ge with female experiences within domesticity. Works idea of memory, history and relics. Relics often become objects such as ‘Civilizing Serendib’ (2010) and ‘Swarnabhumi’ photographs, the female subjects are often left per- ched on stools or chairs in theatrical settings, their of our fetishes. This is because historical memory is inscribed in (2013) present commentaries on post-colonialism and objects, where they become residues of moments in time about the human condition. Her recent works – those un- gazes frozen, looking towards the phallic eye of the box camera. Their homemaking lives intruded into a which we reminiscence in and out of context. Memory not only dertaken between 2012 and 2014 for the exhibition memorises faces but situations and objects, often theatrically po- ‘Memory Keeper’,- deliberate on the erasure of per- wider canvas which recorded their marginal existence in history, to be placed on a patriarchal wall dressed up sitioned within the nostalgias of the keepers of memory. The men sonal and public memory. Her current series of works and women sitting on carved high backed chairs next to a teapot, entitled ‘Elevated Utopias’ offers observations of the for the benefit of the viewer. The work ‘Protest’ uses female hair as a means to arrest the male gaze which posing and gesturing, set against backgrounds with theatrical am- anxieties of societies in the face of anarchy, globalisa- bience, or a wedding party with multiple rows of people peering tion and development. objectifies the female sitter. By covering the face, the hair obstructs the completion of viewers’ voyeuristic at an unseen stranger in the foreground who would register the moment, project their positions in history not only through their The current exhibition Serendipity Revealed includes enjoyment in looking at their female sitter. The use of hair as a covering for the face gives other layers of personas but also through their associations with the objects with works entitled ‘I Let My HairLoose’ (2010), ‘Chair I: Silent which they pose.. Handed over from one generation to another, Sitters’ (2013) and ‘White Chair II: Entombed’ (2014). meaning to the work. Hair in its proper place is seen as a mark of beauty, and hair out of place is seen as such relics entomb and ensure the longevity and continuation of signifying the hysterical, uncontrollable, uncertain and selective moments in history, in this way imprisoning parts of the I Let My Hair Loose (Protest Series) brings to the sur- present using nostalgia as the agent of such entombments. In the- face the politics of the gaze. It also deals with the unpredictable (alluding to Medusa‘s hair). Therefore, using hair as a face covering goes beyond the idea se moments, the present becomes a prisoner of the past. portrayal of female subjectivity in a particular way. Ca- mera, conventionally an extension of the male gaze, of a protective veil. It is more about defying the male Born 1962 White Chair II: Entombed, 2013 Mahen Perera
Mahen Perera trained in Multi-Disciplinary Design and Fine Arts, and works mainly with found objects and material detritus that are often ignored, and seeks to analyze and challenge the conventional language used to talk about issues of identity and represen- tation. His works are evocative of the concept of absence and sometimes even suggestive of archeo- logy in the way that he intimately explores and cele- brates the residual.
On first impression his objects remind us of archeo- logical remains or ethnographical objects reminiscent of cabinet curios left behind from the colonial era, as seen in his installation produced for the 2014 Colom- bo Art Biennale. These objects are also evocative of rubble either left behind by the war, or created for the renewed beautification of the country. Mahen’s natu- ral sensitivity compounded by his time in the orga- nized sterility of Singapore has further sensitised his observations of the unsophisticated but active and vibrant environment of Sri Lanka. This has led him to create works that capture the essence of constantly changing vital surroundings; his graphite works parti- cularly exemplify this.
Mahen’s works explore the innate mutability of ma- terials gravitating between paintings and sculpture - how permutation reconstructs and provides new stimuli for visual perception while mirroring a ritualistic reenactment of shifting emotions and feelings. They Untitled 005, Objects, 2014 fossilize its formative shift of raw elements to create a dialogue that is investigatory in nature. Eluding their original physicality, they cross a delicate threshold between the familiar and the unfamiliar, to find me- aning solely through imaginative inference.
“I consider these works as grounds to explore the desire to trace one’s haptic memory, provoking an ancestral response, a primal recognition in the per- ceiver. The attempt has been to capture the viewer in obscurity, giving liberty to perceive his or her shifting shapes of materiality.” - Mahen
Born 1977 Pala Pothupitiye
“‘Motherland’ and the idea of safeguarding the mo- therland, and being proud of it, has created a veil of ignorance”.
Pala, 2010, a year after the end of the 30-year war in Sri Lanka.
Pala, coming from a background of traditional craft art and dance for ritual ceremonies, confronts the com- pelling political issues raised by identity and the war in Sri Lanka as he brings certain repressed questions to the canvas and to his art objects. More recently known for his map-works, Pala addresses and ques- tions the land’s identity politics, claims of boundaries, mythical beliefs and history.
„It is only when a land is mapped or cartographed that scrutiny and documentation of that land is done. It is only when that has happened, that the inconsis- tencies and problems will be revealed.“ A Perera In his current work, Pala focusses on Sri Lanka’s current post-war situation and so-called develop- ment work as well as religious-national extremism. A prominent feature in these works is the ‘Lion with consuming the so-called development as well as ex- Sword’ seen in the national identity card and the flag periencing the beautification. of Sri Lanka. His use of colour: religiously violent yel- low, blood-shedding red, black and elusively celestial Pala unhesitantly and fearlessly sheds a broad beam enigmatic blue, have beauty-destructing meanings. of light on what is going on in Sri Lanka today. His Through his representation of traditional symbols visual voice is fearless of political, cultural, religious and patterns, Sinhala Buddhist, national and traditional and financial forces. ideas are misused and abused to support extremist ideas. The rhythmic lines of the Buddha’s robes, the Pala won the prestigious Hong Kong based Sovereign nimbus and decorative line patterns, all with traditional Asian Art Prize in 2010. rasmalawa;Nimbus, 2014 characteristics, are drawn in a subversive manner. Lalith Manage
Pala’s aim to address the corporate-influenced, profit- oriented, highly corrupting and superficial develop- Born 1972 ment that has global connections is seen in his bar- code works.
The mesmorizng visual attraction of his work is ines- capable. It blinds the viewer to the realities of terror, violence, corruption, rights-violations and injustice and leads to a visual pleasure similar to what is expe- rienced today in Sri Lanka; no matter how much you dislike the underlying negativity you cannot escape Koralegedara Pushpakumara
Pushpakumara received his art education from the Institute of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Kela- niya, graduating with a BFA in painting in 1997. He also received a Diploma in Archeology from the Postgra- duate Institute of Archeology, University of Kelaniya, in 2003. At present, he is reading for his MA in Art History at the same university.
Pushpakumara is a long term member of Theertha Artist Collective and works in many mediums, inclu- ding painting, sculpture, and poster, set and costume design, and has exhibited extensively in Sri Lanka. In addition, he has taken part in many international workshops and group exhibitions in India, Sweden, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. He has received many local awards, including First Place for Painting in 1995, as well as at the State Awards Festival 1999.
His latest series of work, ‘Goodwill Hardware’, has been exhibited at Theertha Red Dot Gallery, the 2012 & 2014 Colombo Art Biennale and at Hempel Galleries in Colombo, and has been highly acclaimed and well received. Wall Plug (16), 2013 ‘Barbed Wire’ 2014 “My current works share some visual traits with a trend that emerged with the art of the 90’s, referred to as ‘Political Kitsch’. I began to work with kitsch material taking it as a particular system of knowledge production to intervene with contemporary social is- sues of Sri Lanka, especially in response to the war that ended in 2009 and the populist rhetoric that bolstered the idea of ‘war’. In this work, my attempt is to capture the plight of the Tamil refugees forced to spend time in refugee camps after the war and the apathy of the people in the south of Sri Lanka to this situation – the apathy of the south to the suffering of the Tamils affected by the last days of the war. Here the ‘barbed wire’ is made to look ‘pleasant’ by illumination from inside, as if it is trying to hide its sinister reality. Koralegedara Pushpakumara 2013
Pushpakumara lives and works in Colombo.
Born 1968
Barb wire light installation, 2014 Pradeep Thalawatta
Pradeep studied Fine Art and Design and received his BFA in painting in Lahore before joining the Theertha Artists’ Collective which influenced his practice and saw it evolve with the 90’s trend. From 2004, Thalawatta’s artistic investigations have incorporated highly urban situations: industrial materials, mass-production, pop/ celebrity icons and personal episodes of his life. He Roadscape, 2012 was dealing with absorption in urban allure, commen- circle in which the public could walk around. These ting on consumer anxieties and feelings of isolation panels represented digital images of the changing and loneliness in the big city. face of the city of Bangalore. Pradeep raises questi- ons about the city, environment, culture, landscape, In 2010 Pradeep was invited by the University of Jaffna migrants, social disparities, gender and chauvinism, in as an assistant lecturer in Art and Design. As a Sin- a space designedto conceal and create private space halese man coming from the South of Sri Lanka in in a public space. a country that had only recently ended its civil war, the three years he spent teaching at the University in Pradeep Thalawatta lives and works in Colombo and is Jaffna in the North, a predominantly Tamil area, made currently undertaking his MA in Lahore a dramatic impact on his art practice. A significant part of Thalawatta’s methodology was simply to listen and Born 1979 observe the people around him, interacting with stu- as if these new infrastructural changes are not whole- dents and colleagues being an integral part of the sha- heartedly embraced. A sense of distance between ping of his experiences and perceptions. the people and political authorities seems to prevail in varying degrees. For them, physical and socio-cultural “Jaffna was ridden by a cruel 30-year war. The post- landscapes are being altered without consent. But in war era construction work such as rebuilding roads all this, a determination to rebuild towards a stronger caught my attention. Being sensitive to the people and future is still present.’ places surrounding me, my art-works are motivated by Lalith Manage the emotions and feelings of people in the context of the complex, convoluted politics of post-war.” ‘Roadscape’ 2013 The works that Thalawatta presented in the 2012 Pradeep places himself ‘strikingly’, standing in the midst Colombo Art Biennale on the theme ‘Becoming’, ex- of construction work in Jaffna with mouth, eyes and pressed the changing landscapes of Jaffna where he ears blocked by his own hair, alluding to what is allo- produced the hypnotising, ‘Disappearing and Reap- wed and not allowed to be seen heard and spoken pearing Landscape’, a mirage of a landscape that at about. He presents himself in a minimal red and white the same time almost is and almost was, seemingly striped vest, which relates to the Hindu Tamil temple simultaneously appearing and disappearing in front of walls. Deterministically, the Tamils in Sri Lanka see ‘A one’s eyes. Different Road’ to the future, achieving their own aspi- rations. Thalalwattha refers to the potential for further The idea of changing landscapes was carried through development, with the social political changes of Jaff- into his solo show ‘A Different Road’ in 2013. The na as well as the country. roads that Thalawatta focused on in this exhibition are mainly the ones in the Jaffna area. These are the “City Circle” 2011 roads Jaffna people use in their day to day lives, as Thalawatta’s interests in the ever changing landscapes did the artist when in Jaffna. Through his dialogues, in South Asia developed further during a residency in Thalawatta encountered despair and a feeling of loss, Bangalore, where Thalawatta created a large installa- still felt several years after the end of war. It seems tion consisting of thirty curtains assembled in a large Sri Lankan contemporary Art: that was produced during the decade of 1990s The Sansonis who enthusiastically endorsed nurtured through these links with international dia) and Roman Burka (Austria) brought in an refreshed, re-interpreted and re-narrated by From Art of Resistance to Art presented an intense socio-cultural critique of the 90s art were also the primary collectors artists, particularly with South Asian artists, kept impressive collection of established as well the mediation of a memory that is individual the dominant political process and its involve- of the new art during this initial period, and the energies of radical local artists intact when as young international artists to exhibit their and collective. Imbued both with interpretive of Today ment with violence. Within this overall discourse, purchased most of the key artworks of ‘90s endorsement for their art from the conservative works alongside Sri Lankan artists. Colombo Art and reconstructive possibilities, history wri- it also offered a relentless critique of the role of Trend for their private collection. George Keyt local art establishment was absent. Biennale, an idea formulated by the artist Jagath ters, memory keepers, interpreters and com- Anoli Perera religious institutions and the consumer culture Foundation, a private art foundation estab- Weerasinghe along with Annoushka Hempel, mentators of history, society and culture of the newly globalized society. lished in the name of well-known 43 Group The first decade of the new millennium saw both founding members of the biennale, have often collate their visions, hallucinations and Most visible and continuing contemporary trends artist, George Keyt opened up a platform for further expansion in this emergent forms of ensured the emergence of its own particularity interpretations of ‘truths’ about life, mythici- in Sri Lankan visual art emerged during the The decade that followed also saw the visual emerging artists to show their work through art. With the conclusion of the 30-year armed and format. Held under much strained economic zing parts of history through a memorializing 1990s as a reaction to the highly problematic art field giving room to nurture the idea of the their large scale annual exhibitions and art conflict in May 2009, Sri Lanka experienced a conditions due to unforthcoming local funding, process. We construct our ‘truths’ through socio-political situation the country was experi- ‘alternative’ as the ‘critical other’ to the conven- events such as ‘Young Contemporaries’ and sigh of relief on the stoppage of the massive a situation faced by many novice international selective histories and selective memories. encing at the time. A society marred with large- tional and established art. During this period one ‘Kala Pola’. In a local context where gallery human and material destruction that had con- art events, the Colombo Art Biennales immedi- Therefore, we make our own versions of scale violence , unsympathetic and brutal res- could see progressive artists and individuals co- sponsorships were meager, these events tinued for so long which paralyzed as well as ately gave much needed international visibility history through historical interpretations that ponses by the state to individual and collective ming together to support the newly-emerging became much sought after opportunities for brutalized the entire society. This was a major to Sri Lankan contemporary art while creating over time might well become part of a larger fears and anxieties and mismanaged economic radicalism in art by establishing alternate art young artists, which in some cases helped situational change that allowed artists to con- an awareness within local audiences about its history. policies, the artists of the late 1980s and early spaces and group efforts. Some of them beca- launch their professional careers. Interna- nect and work together much easily with the nature and form. Within this overall scenario, the 1990s were at the edge of an art discipline that me catalysts for the emergent new art. As an tional cultural institutions such as the British North and North East which was relatively in- Sri Lankan contemporary art scene continues Within the discourse of visual art, artists have failed to reconcile their lived realities, dilemmas, attempt to confront the archaic curriculum and Council, the Goethe Institute and the Alliance accessible during the war. At the same time, to evolve and mature, retaining its own unique been unhesitating in interrogating both his- and their need to express. They were straddled insular methods of teaching in the government Francaise supported the new experimental many members of Theertha, some of whom brands of radicalism and innovation. tory and memory and often their interven- with an art of yesterday that had residues of art school now known as University for Visual art. Significantly, their involvement in the art were instrumental in initiating the ‘90s Art Trend, tions and engagements with historicity and academic realism and romanticism borrowed and Performing Arts, the Vibhavi Academy of scene along with the George Keyt Founda- have been active in sustaining the criticality remembrance have brought out narratives from British colonial art and localized modernist Fine Arts (VAFA), was established by a group tion established the idea of international art and experimental nature of their art-making, of resistance, voices of disquiet and forebo- trends introduced by the 43 Group that roman- of artists. VAFA also became the rallying point exchanges through a series of international presenting extremely innovative and seminal ding aesthetics where society is made ‘not ticised an utopian ideal of the village, the nation for the radical artists in the initial stage of 90s workshops called ‘Art Link,’ which were re- exhibitions. Jagath Weerasinghe’s exhibition, History and Memory to forget’. They have held their viewers in and the human body which dominated post Art Trend. The Heritage Gallery established by gularly held from 1999 for a number of years. ‘Celestial Fervor’ in 2009, presented a deeper guilt, remorse, exasperation and anger. In independent art. Faced with this situation, the an art philanthropist Ajitha de Costa, showcased International art workshops became a regu- and more sophisticated elaboration of socie- Dealing with the perception and construction of the hands of artists, temporality is extended, artists of the 90s decade needed an epistemic experimental art of the 90s during those early lar event in the Colombo art scene during the tal violence, a thematic he has engaged with the past, both memory and history - though suspended or warped, thereby letting histo- break in the historical evolution of art in order crucial years when art establishment shunned decade of 2000 which generated considera- since his 1994 show, ‘Anxiety’ that essentially phenomenally different from each other,- inter- ry lose its linearity of progression. Allegory to usher in a change that would transform the the explosive thematics and dark aesthetics of ble enthusiasm for international art exchan- provided the parameters for ‘90s art. Similar att- pret the subjective reflections of our being in and metaphors in their aesthetic exercises way art is perceived and the way artists defined the new art. In 1997, the exhibition ‘New Approa- ges. Such international art exchanges and empts have been seen in recent exhibitions by specific contexst and temporalities. Some see add layers to the already subjective memo- their professional personalities within society. ches’ presenting a collection of 90s art held at networking beyond Sri Lanka was pursued other Theertha artists such as Sarath Kumarasiri history as a contested space within which many ries and selective histories framed via multi- Therefore, the ‘90s Art Trend’ emerged chal- the National Art Gallery of Colombo curated by intensely by the art initiative Theertha Inter- (‘Kovils Temples’, 2009) and K. Pushpakumara tugs-of-war have been fought to lay claim to ple interpretations. Artists become memory lenging every aspect of art-making – the role Sharmini Pereira, then a young curator based national Artists’ Collective established in 2000 (‘Goodwill Hardware’, 2009 & 2012) as well as the a subjective past for a subjective present that keepers, narrators and documenters of an of artists, the art methodologies and even the in the United Kingdom, helped to endorse the by a progressive group of artists. Theertha, younger generation of artists, Anura Krishan- could define a subjective future. Shrouded interpretive history ciphered through an aes- episteme of the field – which created a space emerging new trends in contemporary Sri Lan- through its regular art residencies and work- tha (‘Chairs’, 2007), Bandu Manamperi (‘Numbed’, within academic exercises, political rhetoric and thetic and conceptual veneer to be read and for installation, performance, object art, collage kan art. In 1999, ‘No Order Group’ was formed shops supported by the South Asia Network 2009), Sanath Kalubadana (‘My Friend the Sol- archeological investigation for its authenticity reread as art. and other variations of art-making to germinate by proponents and artists closely associated of Artists (SANA), a regional art network es- dier’, 2007) and Pala Pothupitiya (‘My Ancestral and endorsement, history somehow remains -Anoli Perera- and blossom. In this new creative space, artists with the ‘90s Trend which issued a manifesto tablished in collaboration with artists’ groups Dress and My ID’, 2008). embedded in collective memories of a larger were able to draw attention to – without sha- declaring their position on art during a seminal in India (Khoj International), Nepal (Sutra), Ban- than life magnitude. me and inhibitions – their personal experien- exhibition of their work organized at VAFA. The gladesh (Britto Art Trust) and Pakistan(Vasl) In 2009, the same year the armed conflict en- ces, identity crises, anxieties, sexual politics and new art were patronized by art collectors such have managed to work intensely to connect ded in Sri Lanka also interestingly marked the Memory on the other hand remains within in- private fantasies. Their art discussed social and as Dominic and Nazreen Sansoni by presenting with regional and international art commu- 1st biennale in Colombo named ‘Colombo Art dividuals and communities as an exercise of political issues via personal experience. Within a number of innovative exhibitions of artists nities. In many ways, artists’ mobility within Biennale’ (CAB) with the theme ‘Imagining Peace’ nostalgia and remembrance of a past mostly the 90s trend, the artist’s persona was trans- such as Jagath Weerasinghe, Chandraguptha South Asia and beyond supported by SANA followed by the 2nd Colombo Art Biennale in as an ‘emotional experience’ recounted in a formed from the reclusive, spiritually based, se- Thenuwara, Anoli Perera, Muhanned Cader, K. and others became one of the main con- 2012 under the theme ‘Being’. Much expanded totally personal context or a performative pu- date, non-committal, temperamental genius to Pushpakumara, Kingsley Goonatilake in their duits to connect with the exterior world for from its initial attempt in 2009, the 2013 Colom- blic context. We are all burdened by and bound that of an anxiety ridden, restless, critical, and Gallery 706 (now known as Barefoot Gallery). Sri Lankan artists. The camaraderie that was bo Art Biennale curated by Suresh Jayaram (In- within a certain history which is remembered, confrontational risk-taker. Therefore, the art Acknowledgements
Asian Art Newspaper John Hollingsworth Joe Pinto
Reginald Aloysius Daniel Hutton Elizabetta Pisu
British Council Laura Hutton Pala Pothupitiye
Sarah Callaghan Vimukthi Jayasundera Koralegedara Pushpakumara
Carlton Club Ursula Keith Niru Ratnam
Colombo Art Biennale Janananda Laksiri Rockland Ceylon Arrack
Alexi Cory-Smith Cora de Lang Hasita Senanayake
D&D London Jill Macdonald Sophie Simpson
Pradeep Dularaj Bandu Manamperi SOAS Unsiversity of London
Echo House Printers Lalith Manage SriLankan Airlines
Liz Fernando Nina Mangalanayagam Genevieve Sorrell
Anna Flick Dhanushka Marasinghe Puja Srivastava
Shevanthie Goonesekra Annabelle Muazu Pradeep Thalawatta
Kingsley Gunatillake Joy Onyejiako Fru Tholstrup
Manoj Gunewardena Jasmin Pelham Monica Vinader
Desmond Gunewardena Pelham Communications
Eduard Hempel Anoli Perera
Hempel Galleries Mahen Perera
The ‚Serendipity Revealed‘ team wishes to thank all its sponsors, volunteers, patrons, friends and of course artists who have all helped make this project possible. WWW.CEYLONARRACK.COM ASIAN ART THE NEWSPAPER FOR COLLECTORS, DEALERS, MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES Keep up to date with the Asian and Islamic Art Worlds
ASIAN ART 5)&/&841"1&3'03$0--&$5034 %&"-&34 .64&6.4"/%("--&3*&4t4&15&.#&3tb64ƃ Aga Khan Museum Opens in Toronto
ON 18 SEPTEMBER, the Aga Ashmolean Museum’s redevelopment Museum will include miniatures and Qanun, Fi’l-Tibb, Khan Museum in Toronto is opening project, which was completed in 2009. manuscripts collected by the late (Canon of its doors to the public for the first He also supervised the redevelopment Prince Sadruddin and Princess Medicine), volume time. It is the first museum in North of the Ashmolean’s Egypt Galleries, Catherine Aga Khan, and Islamic 5, Ibn Sina America to be dedicated to the arts of which was completed in November artefacts and works of art that His (980-1037), Islam and Islamic cultures. Founded 2011. Dr Kim holds degrees in Highness the Aga Khan and members Iran or Iraq, by His Highness the Aga Khan, the classical archaeology from Harvard of his family have collected over 1052, opaque museum has an exceptional University and the University of several generations. watercolour and permanent collection, which The Oxford. The curatorial staff at the Aga The two inaugural exhibitions are ink on paper pieces in the collection have been Khan museum consists of a head In Search of the Artist: Signed Drawings Folio: 21.2 x collected by the Aga Khan and curator and three assistant curators. and Paintings from the Aga Khan 16.4 cm, from members of his family for a number In the two permanent galleries tup Museum Collection, from 18 the permanent of generations. Housed in a specially to 200 objects will be on display at any September to 16 November and The collection designed new building designed by one time from the collection. Major Garden of Ideas: Contemporary Art the Japanese architect Fumihiko temporary exhibitions concerning the from Pakistan, from 18 September to conceived by His Highness the Aga of the lessons we have learned in Maki, the museum comprises Islamic world will also be presented in 18 January 2015. Khan as an educational institution recent years is that the world of galleries, exhibition spaces, classrooms, historic, geographic, or thematic Since 2007, whilst waiting for the detailing the cultural, artistic, Islam and the Western world need a reference library, as well as a state- themes. These exhibitions will use the new museum to be built, selected intellectual and religious heritage of to work together much more of-the-art auditorium. The Toronto permanent collections, but also draw pieces from the museum’s collection Muslim civilisations. The long term effectively at building mutual museum complements the mission of upon private collections and have been on tour in Europe and goal behind the museum is to understanding – especially as these the Global Centre of Pluralism in institutional holdings from all parts of Asia, with more than 1.5 million promote religious and cultural cultures interact and intermingle Ottawa, which was also set up by the the world. Smaller exhibitions on people visiting these travelling pluralism, while also presenting more actively. We hope that this Aga Khan in collaboration with the specific artists and topics are also exhibitions held in Italy, United Islamic arts and cultures that reflect museum will contribute to a better Canadian government. planned to be hosted in the temporary Kingdom, France, Portugal, Spain, the historic geographic and cultural understanding of the peoples of ASIAN ART The new director of the museum is exhibition space. Germany, Turkey, Russia, Malaysia diversity of Muslim societies from Islam in all of their religious, ethnic, 5)&/&841"1&3'03$0--&$5034 %&"-&34 .64&6.4"/%("--&3*&4t4&15&.#&3tb64ƃ Dr Henry Kim, who was previously The Museum collection spans over and Singapore. Spain in the West to China in the linguistic and social diversity.’ Never Project Director for the Oxford one thousand years of history. The This museum was originally East. His Highness has stated: ‘One has this been more true.
news in brief Inside 2 Aga Khan Museum NATIONAL GALLERY, SINGAPORE DBS Bank have announced a gift of S$25 million to 6 ASIAN ART New Gallery the National Gallery Singapore earlier this year. Through a permanent display of fundamental works from the 19th century to present day from the 10 New Address National Collection, the DBS Singapore Gallery will Opens in Toronto 13 Aga Khan Museum enable visitors to experience a comprehensive overview of Singapore art. It will serve as a key component of Singapore art education as well as an important Opens in Toronto platform for studying and presenting the cultural and 16 aesthetic identity of Singapore. Last year, DBS 18 donated 26 artworks by Singapore’s leading artists to 21 the Gallery. These comprised works of various media 24 by notable artists such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Anthony Poon, Tan Swie Hian, Ong 26 Kim Seng, and Thomas Yeo. ASIAN ART 27 ON KAWARA OBITUARY Aga Khan Museum On Kawara, the Japanese-born conceptual artist best 28 Opens in Toronto known for making date paintings for the past 48 years, passed away last July, at the age of 81. Kawara began 31 making his date pictures, known collectively as the 32 Today series, on 4 January 1966 in New York and 33 continued to work on them for the rest of his life. 34 Each hand-painted work was completed on the date 35 depicted and most were packaged with newspaper Next issue clippings from local publications. The Guggenheim in New York is currently planning a retrospective of his work, expected to open in February 2015. Contact us PHOTO SHANGHAI The inaugural edition of Photo Shanghai - the first international art fair dedicated to photography in news in brief Inside China takes place from 5 to 7 September at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, and aims to establish the Visit us online NATIONAL GALLERY, SINGAPORE most professional and international platform for fine art photography in the Asia-Pacific region. The fair is www.asianartnewspaper.com also hosting the first Beijing Photo Biennale’s Follow us on twitter rue Visconti - 75006 Paris exhibition: Contemporary Photography in China, AsianArtPaper 5 Join our Facebook page m. +33 (0)6 09 76 60 68 2009-2014, curated by Wang Huangsheng, its artistic Asian Art Newspaper www.mingei-arts-gallery.com director and director of CAFA Art Museum, and considered the foremost curator of photography in China. More information on www.photoshanghai.org.
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