In his oil-on-canvas work ‘The Gilded Cage,’ Sri Lankan artist Shanaka Kulathanga explores tension between outward beauty and inner conflict. Dressed in emerald green, her hair parted to one side, a woman sits poised yet burdened. Her blank eyes, taut expression hint at a quiet unrest. Behind her, colourful traditional Sri Lankan masks seem to mirror the turmoil within.
Moving from melancholy to mythology, in ‘Ananda Thandawa,’ done with charcoal, he captures Shiva’s cosmic dance. Swift, swirling strokes create a sense of intense movement evoking the force of a whirlwind, as the composition retains an underlying stillness.
Elsewhere, an oil-on-canvas work depicting an old man reading beside a boiling pot leans into magical realism. Rich colours and loose, almost chaotic brushwork lend the painting a dreamlike quality.
“Although the themes are versatile, they all question oneself, humanity, and how civilised we are. Are we really better than other animal species? And if yes, why do we have so many conflicts within our species?” the artist asserts. “We live under nature, and are not above it. That’s why I love nature. It’s a divine thing!”
Born and raised in a semi-urban region of Colombo, nature seems almost central to Kulathanga’s artworks, whether in his vividly hued paintings of the tide or his depictions of simple rural life.
So central is nature to his practice that Shanaka Kulathanga even uses it to depict the after-effects of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which began in the early 1980s. In one striking work, a young girl sits surrounded by white goats while holding a black one in her lap. “The white goats symbolise the privileged people, the black one the minority. The painting simply says that everyone needs affection,” Kulathanga explains.
About 40 of his works are currently on display at Bikaner House, New Delhi, as part of his debut solo exhibition in India, a moment he describes as “one of the greatest” of his life. Titled ‘Silent Stories,’ the show is presented by Gallery Silver Scapes and curated by Archana Khare-Ghose.
While Shanaka Kulathanga’s works are refreshing, Ghose’s curation stands out as well. Without overcrowding the space, the exhibition moves fluidly from cityscapes and mythology to nature and magical realism, allowing viewers the space to pause, focus and reflect. It matches the quiet intensity and emotional restraint the artist’s works carry.
Asked why the exhibition is titled ‘Silent Stories,’ Kulathanga says it is because “painting is a silent medium.”
“Bringing Shanaka Kulathunga’s work to India has been a deeply special experience for us at Gallery Silver Scapes. I have always admired the emotional depth and painterly quality of his practice, particularly the sensitivity in his landscapes and seascapes,” says Vikram Mayor, director, Gallery Silver Scapes.
Currently on view at CCA Building, Bikaner House, the exhibition runs till May 28.
