Ravindu Sandaruwan's (b. 1998, Makola, Sri Lanka. Lives & works in Kadawatha) practice explores the inseparable relationship between land and ocean, personifying the sea as Manimekala a goddess of sorrow and endurance to reflect the consequences of human driven environmental destruction. His work addresses the fragility of Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems and the broader ecological threats impacting both nature and human life. Working primarily in watercolor, he employs a wet-on-wet technique to create fluid, immersive compositions. Layered washes, subtle transitions, and organic forms convey the ocean’s vitality, impermanence, and the looming silence that follows environmental decay, translating ecological anxiety into poetic visual narratives.
A graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Sandaruwan is a contemporary Sri Lankan artist dedicated to mapping connections between humanity and nature, using his practice to provoke reflection and advocate for coastal preservation.