Priyantha Udagedara
Terra Nullius IV, 2025
Mixed Media on Canvas
110.5 x 150.5 cm
43 1/2 x 59 1/4 in
43 1/2 x 59 1/4 in
Referring to the colonial act of looking for unoccupied and uninhabited land for occupation and civilisation, Terra Nullius is Priyantha Udagedara’s foray into the contemporary oceanic existence of Sri Lanka.
It presents an array of his works from the past two decades, delving into stories of routes, discoveries, ports, trade, and vessels re-told from a postcolonial perspective. Using his classic style of collage and acrylic on canvas, Udagedara urges us to imagine a utopia before colonial occupation in the island of Sri Lanka.Flora and fauna mingle with the natural elements of water, air, and soil, as giant apparatus of colonial powers emerge from the shore.
