Shalini Ganendra Fine Art (SGFA) starts 2012 off with another pool of international artworks, this time an ambitious three-month showing of contemporary art from Sri Lanka. The exhibition explores the contemporary art practices of the country, arguably lesser known than its large neighbour’s art scene at the moment (yes you, India), which is a shame really as the country’s unique history has offered its artists ample fodder to work with; the country’s turbulent war years and the years thereafter, for one, have strongly affected the development of Sri Lanka’s visual arts since its modernist period with the iconic ’43 Group – led by luminary artists like George Keyt and Ivan Peries – that aimed to resuscitate the country’s fizzling art scene.
At SGFA’s Gallery Residence, you’ll be granted a peek at contemporary Sri Lankan art via the works of painters Druvinka and Nelun Harasgama. Their styles are emblematic of Sri Lanka and South Asia as a whole, and both artists were part of SGFA’s 2007 showing of Sri Lankan contemporary art in New York. Rachel Jena