When Lionel Wendt, a talented photographer and pianist, returned from England, after studying law, his house became a meeting place for artists, to whom he became a patron. The walls of his house were covered with the paintings of his friends and proteges, not to mention his own photographs. His grand piano dominated the space. In 1943 a germ of ...
The launch of Collector’s Desk took place at Saskia Fernando Gallery on the fourth of December which addressed a gathering of art collectors, enthusiasts and corporates The inspiration for this platform came from interviews conducted on ARTRA magazine Feb/Mar e16 with two of our leading contemporary artists, Muhanned Cader & T. Shanaathanan. They clearly stated a need for more communication ...
Wildlife photography can be one of the most challenging and rewarding fields of photography. A photograph has the power to convey a million messages, stir emotions and spark conversations. Sadhina Abeysuriya is a wildlife photographer who has a personal relationship with the wild, where photography for her is not just about capturing endangered animals and their aura, but an endeavour ...
START was a five day event that shun a spotlight on artists and new art scenes that took place on the second floor of the Saatchi Gallery in London. START opened on the 9 September 2015. Nearly half of the fair was dedicated to focused exhibitions and solo artist presentations, showcasing the most dynamic art being made in Asia and ...
Having first debuted at CFW two years ago, Heshan is the designer behind 2202, a line of menswear. Heshan studied fashion retail management at The Art Institute in Washington, D.C., USA and completed his final year of his undergraduate degree at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. “2202 has a signature aesthetic of colour blocks and geometric shapes. 2202 retails in ...
This year’s pool of emerging designers include those who have shown at CFW previously, and those who had the coveted opportunity to have showcased at the recently concluded CFW Resort at Galle Fort. Tarja de Silva and Heshan de Silva have both shown at CFW before, and are now taking strides into the fashion industry as two of Sri Lanka’s ...
Sanjaya Geekiyange graduated from the University of Visual and Performing Arts majoring in Sculpture. He studied metal sculpturing and with time, he realized that everyone does iron sculpturing, so he decided to take on Copper as a medium. During his learning curve, he read through piles of books related to science to educate himself about copper and how to evoke ...
Rajni Perera, Sri-Lankan born artist residing in Canada, had her first exhibition in Sri Lanka at Saskia Fernando Gallery in August. Her exuberance coupled with her artistic philosophy and style caught our attention. Rajni’s work is thought provoking and dynamic as her multicultural background contributes greatly to an East-West dialogue of ideas concerning immigrant identity issues, female sexuality, science fiction ...
Cinnamon Colomboscope concluded on a high note on the 30th of August at Rio Cinema in Slave Island. Incepted in 2012, Colomboscope revolved around talks and literature, but this year, the organizers added Visual Art as a primary component to showcase Colombo in different perspectives from both local and international professional artists under the title ‘Shadow Scenes’. Curated by Menika ...
Laki Senanayake is a well renowned artist who infused his creative senses in painting, sculpture, architecture, screen printing and batik. A jack of all traits, one may call him, is truly an inspiration to those who hope to impact many artistic spheres. Laki, who was born in 1937, belongs to the generation of artists that emerged in the 1950s. He ...
Anjalendran, David Robson and Dominic Sansoni, esteemed professionals who have been synonymously associated with the subject of architecture, be it research, photography, architectural work, drawings or articulation, recently published The Architecural Heritage of Sri Lanka (AHSL) – Measured Drawings from the Anjalendran Studio. On the Preface of the book, Robson succinctly captures the essence of AHSL by describing it as ...
In this article, I articulate my agenda and a few thoughts that revolve around my work. It is not a direct response to Prof. Qadri Ismail‘s ‘Uncanny Elephants’, the critical essay published on ARTRA Magazine Aug/Sep E19, however, it addresses many of the concerns and sensitive issues brought forward by the critic. I prefer to work with the traditional medium ...
Colombo Fashion Week in partnership with ARTRA Magazine launched CFW Frame, our platform for artistic expression at the recently concluded Colombo Fashion Week Resort, Galle Fort. CFW Frame hosted art exhibitions ‘Cityscapes and Forts by Branka Ridicki’ and ‘Black and White Portraits by Dominic Sansoni’ on the 2nd and 3rd of October respectively at Landesi by Jetwing. BLACK AND WHITE ...
Colombo Fashion Week in partnership with ARTRA Magazine launched CFW Frame, our platform for artistic expression at the recently concluded Colombo Fashion Week Resort, Galle Fort. CFW Frame hosted art exhibitions ‘Cityscapes and Forts by Branka Ridicki’ and ‘Black and White Portraits by Dominic Sansoni’ on the 2nd and 3rd of October respectively at Landesi by Jetwing. CITYSCAPES AND FORTS ...
Q | Forgetting November is a new production by Floating Space Theatre Company (FSTC), which opens on August 15 and 16. How do you choose what to work on? A | Floating Space was approached and invited to present a work this August by the Centre for Policy Alternatives that would be a part of a larger symposium and exhibition. ...
Tell us about yourself as a wildlife photographer Childhood experiences and longing to be with the natural world, joining The Young Zoologist’s Association of Sri Lanka (YZA), of the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka, in the year 1992 as a teen and later specializing in the field of Herpetology, as a taxonomist for over two decades, spending much of ...
Mahesh Indika graduated from the Visual Art Academy in 2010 and since then, he has been an artist who likes to depict simpler messages through complex mediums of art. Coming from humble beginnings, he showcased his work at Kala Pola in the years 2007 and 2008. Now he works closely with Dileepa Jeewantha, Founder of the Saffron Robe ...
Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) is often regarded as the backbone of the Sri Lankan fashion industry because it continues to inspire designers to pursue fashion as a serious career. Since its inception in 2003, CFW has introduced a culture within the industry, which driven designers to launch their own labels and produce collections each season. The CFW ...
What does it mean to be a practicing contemporary artist? Beyond motivation, techniques, influences and intention what else is involved? To be an artist today involves sustaining a practice where you are actively involved in the process of art making. Though this sounds straight forward, it is probably one of the greatest challenges to face any artist no matter how ...
Readers of ARTRA Magazine are familiar with Ruvin De Silva’s conceptual photography, not so much of his thriving theatre career. Since his first significant performance in Tracy Holsinger’s Chat Room (2007), Ruvin has been a part of plays produced by most of the English Theatre companies in SL, including the recently concluded ‘Fruit Cake’ by the students of Methodist College, ...