Engaging with the paddy field as a living archive, the artist transforms observations of labour, memory, and survival into a visual meditation on ecological and social continuity. His work reflects the precarity of seasonal cycles and the delicate systems that sustain human and non human life alike.

In contrast to war centred readings often applied to artists from the eastern region, his practice treats land as a site of cultivation and ritual care. Using acrylic on paper, he constructs narrative sequences where rice operates as a connective scroll, and elephant tusks, husks, and trunks appear as recurring symbols. A dominant red ground unifies the imagery, producing an embroidered, illustrative surface that evokes continuity and collective memory.

Bani Manohansa’s practice investigates psychological instability and emotional vulnerability, particularly among youth. In his daily work drawing portraits as illustrative characters, he encounters diverse faces and emotions, analyzing each subject’s features to capture personality and expression accurately. 

This professional practice allows him to observe the subtle ways mental states shape outward appearance, revealing emotional fragility often overlooked by young people today.

Working in digital and graphic art, he translates these insights into abstracted self portraits. Dense clusters of vibrant, contrasting colours surround the head, visualizing mental overload, while flat monochromatic backgrounds isolate  inner turmoil from outward calm. Through this interplay of observation, abstraction, and colour, Bani foregrounds the importance of mental wellness and encourages greater awareness of the hidden emotional labor youth navigate daily.

The artist’s practice engages with the concept of existence, using painting to express emotions and realities that evade verbal description. His work investigates the tension between abstract and real, questioning the interdependent relationship between time, being, and perception. Employing oil on canvas, he merges surrealist approaches with natural symbolic forms, creating compositions that operate on both ontic and ontological levels. Subtle textures, layered forms, and careful modulation of color and light invite philosophical reflection, translating complex ideas into visually compelling narratives.

The artist’s practice is informed by classical figurative traditions and the legacy of painters such as Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Velázquez, and Rubens, whose use of light, composition, and emotional intensity continues to shape his visual language. Drawing from these histories, he examines human desire as a condition formed through absence, influence, and the presence of the “Other.”

Approaching women’s experiences from the perspective of an emerging male artist, Kavindu S. examines the hidden realities of marital abuse, offering a reflective lens on struggles often concealed within traditional societal norms. His work reveals the emotional, verbal, and physical violence endured by women and questions the cost of sacrificing their freedom and dignity.

Working in mixed media, he transforms symbolic elements such as golden wedding ornaments into shackles, juxtaposing public celebration with private suffering. Bold, evocative compositions visualize tension, confinement, and fragility, translating lived experiences into compelling narratives that demand attention and reflection.

The artist’s practice is rooted in his childhood experiences growing up in the Vanni region of Kilinochchi during the
early stages of the war. His work reflects the trauma of displacement, destruction, and loss, exploring how these experiences shape memory, identity, and the human relationship with land.

Using natural elements such as clouds, dust, and mayfly wings, he translates environmental and human impacts of war into visual symbols. Fragmented textures, ephemeral forms, and rhythmic patterns evoke impermanence,
environmental degradation, and the fragility of life, connecting personal and collective memory.

The artist’s practice explores the personal and intimate space of the room as a reflection of identity, memory, and emotional life. Through his work, he investigates how objects, colors, and arrangements reveal thoughts, feelings, and moods unique to each individual, capturing the private narratives that unfold behind closed doors.

Working primarily in printmaking, he uses woodcut techniques, dynamic lines, and rhythmic shapes to translate emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, and introspection. Drawing from Van Gogh’s color palette, his compositions employ color symbolically to convey psychological states, while sketches and personal motifs evoke the rhythms of daily life.