My Art practice deals with the post-colonial discourse. I am interested in colonization, global imperialism and the impact of the British Empire on the issues of immigration and migration. I am concerned with ecological issues and matters of sustainability. I am interested in Marine biology especially coral. My work has elements of performance and costume. Often I dress up as sea creatures like jellyfish and Coral. I retrace journeys made by historical people to show the historical links to migration.
I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and I have lived in London since 1975.
I studied at Central St.Martin’s College of Art and Design. I was awarded a Fine Art BA (Hons) First Class. I have also gained a MA Fine Art from the Royal College of Art in London.
In 2014 I won the Griffin Art Prize this is a prestigious painting prize funded by Windsor and Newton.
My work has been inspired by the Ethnographic archive at the British museum. The collection of artefacts and photographs from the archive aid me to form fictional narratives of the conquest and colonization of people and also how they are represented.
In my research I came across troops of elephant perfomers who were bought over from Ceylon to be exhibited in Empire shows, in the nineteenth century in west London Shepherds Bush area. They became living exhibits and formed human zoos. The Elephant heads refer to this troop of human exhibits and form my fictional tribe that were shown in White City.
My collaged drawings are of naval flags that spell out warnings when read together as each drawing is a letter from the alphabet. The drawings also form twenty six etchings of the Maritime alphabet as well as twenty six etchings of Scout flags.
In my work I am referencing official signs, signals and semaphores to create my own flags with their own alphabet. In my alphabet I use characters from Victorian paintings by William Frith, that form social comment on Victorian society.
I am intrigued by the first encounters made by British explorers and the fate of the natives they befriended.
In my drawings and painted ceramics I am carrying out a process of re-interpretation and translation of the ethnographic archive. I am creating fictitious accounts of history.
In 2019 I was a co-founder of an South East Asian women artist collective. It is called ‘Neulinge’ meaning newcomers. We have had numerous shows from the Crypt to the Lewisham Art house. We also have a show in Karachi.
I am represented by Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo Sri Lanka.
I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and I have lived in London since 1975.
I studied at Central St.Martin’s College of Art and Design. I was awarded a Fine Art BA (Hons) First Class. I have also gained a MA Fine Art from the Royal College of Art in London.
In 2014 I won the Griffin Art Prize this is a prestigious painting prize funded by Windsor and Newton.
My work has been inspired by the Ethnographic archive at the British museum. The collection of artefacts and photographs from the archive aid me to form fictional narratives of the conquest and colonization of people and also how they are represented.
In my research I came across troops of elephant perfomers who were bought over from Ceylon to be exhibited in Empire shows, in the nineteenth century in west London Shepherds Bush area. They became living exhibits and formed human zoos. The Elephant heads refer to this troop of human exhibits and form my fictional tribe that were shown in White City.
My collaged drawings are of naval flags that spell out warnings when read together as each drawing is a letter from the alphabet. The drawings also form twenty six etchings of the Maritime alphabet as well as twenty six etchings of Scout flags.
In my work I am referencing official signs, signals and semaphores to create my own flags with their own alphabet. In my alphabet I use characters from Victorian paintings by William Frith, that form social comment on Victorian society.
I am intrigued by the first encounters made by British explorers and the fate of the natives they befriended.
In my drawings and painted ceramics I am carrying out a process of re-interpretation and translation of the ethnographic archive. I am creating fictitious accounts of history.
In 2019 I was a co-founder of an South East Asian women artist collective. It is called ‘Neulinge’ meaning newcomers. We have had numerous shows from the Crypt to the Lewisham Art house. We also have a show in Karachi.
I am represented by Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo Sri Lanka.