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As we bid farewell to 2023, Saskia Fernando Gallery reflects on a year filled with captivating exhibitions and initiatives that celebrated the diverse tapestry of Sri Lankan art. We have had the opportunity to showcase new talent through inaugural solo exhibitions, curate and exhibit innovative exhibitions and projects with established artists and partake in international art events. Here's a glimpse of the remarkable achievements that defined our gallery's journey over the past year.
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ART ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
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Saskia Fernando Gallery continues to represent Sri Lankan art on the global platform as the sole Sri Lankan gallery at the India Art Fair 2023. Featuring works by Firi Rahman, Hema Shironi, Jagath Weerasinghe, Muvindu Binoy, and Chandraguptha Thenuwara, SFG curated a compelling showcase that offered a profound exploration of the development of visual language in Sri Lankan contemporary art through textile creations, embroidery, digital collages, drawings, paintings, and book art. |
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Hema Shironi, They Netted Us, Small World, Taipei Biennial, Taipei, 2023
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The 13th edition of Taipei Biennale, Small World, curated by Freya Chou, Reem Shadid, and Brian Kuan Wood brings together an eclectic group of over 50 artists and musicians from around the globe, including the works of SFG artist Hema Shironi. Small World suggests both a promise and a threat: a promise of greater control over one’s own life, and a threat of isolation from a larger community following a global pandemic. Hema Shironi’s work They Netted Us is on show at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum from 18 November 2023 to 24 March 2024. |
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Firi Rahman, Pandemonium, Open Studio at Cité Internationales des Arts, France, 2023
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Firi Rahman was selected for Cité Internationales des Arts, in collaboration with Institut Français, a three-month-long artist residency programme to develop a research and creation project in Paris. During the residency, Firi developed a series inspired by migratory birds to comment on the experiences of refugees and migrants who exist in an ambiguous and uprooted zone, where the meaning of ‘home’ is ever elusive.
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Performance by Fabienne Francotte, A Matter Of Time, India International Centre, India, 2023
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The fifth edition of Khoj Curatorial Intensive South Asia 2023 opened with a performance by Fabienne Francotte at the India International Centre in New Delhi. Francotte's performance engaged the body in a process of making marks & signs that emphasises the physical qualities of rhythm, gesture, energy and immediacy, inviting the viewer in a reflection of balance and control.
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SFG ARTISTS REACHING NEW MILESTONES |
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(Left) Arjuna Gunarathne, Joyous Celebration, St James Palace London, 2023 (Right) Detail, Arjuna Gunarathne, Joyous Celebration
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Artist Arjuna Gunarathne an alumni of the Royal Drawing School had the honour of exhibiting his work at Royal Drawing School: Celebrating the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla. RDS invites recent alumni of the school to participate in this exhibition held annually in London. This year, in honour of its founding patron, the Royal Drawing School also commissioned alumni to create works that represented their personal reflections on the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Arjuna Gunarathne's work was exhibited alongside other RDS alumni at Christie’s King Street galleries in St James’s.
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SFG artist Firi Rahman explores the intricate relationship between the natural environment and human-made spaces in his first site-specific installation, In Between: the Existence of Firdaus, currently exhibited at Lunuganga. The outdoor installation, Perch, is accompanied by a collection of drawings that leverage Bawa's architectural elements to emphasise the prominence of nature. The installation is open to the public as a part of the ‘To Lunuganga’ programme highlighting 75 years of art , architecture and ecology at Lunuganga.
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CELEBRATING WOMEN ARTISTS
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Installation view featuring works by Anoma Wijewardene and Shanea Mendis, With My Back to the World, 2023
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In honour of International Women's Day 2023, Saskia Fernando Gallery curated an exhibition featuring the creations of 12 contemporary women artists from or residing in Sri Lanka. The diverse lineup included talents like Fabienne Francotte, Hansika Herath, Chaturika Jayani, Shaanea Mendis, Ashini Nanayakkara, Sabeen Omar, Anoli Perera, Sumi Perera, Saskia Pintelon, Anoma Rajakaruna, Hema Shironi, and Anoma Wijewardene.
Taking inspiration from the 1997 artwork by Agnes Martin, the title With My Back to the World invited viewers to explore, sense, and react to the nuances of art creation without the need for a specific cause or rationale. Curated by Mariyam Begum and Ashini Nanayakkara, this exhibition celebrated the rich artistic contributions of women in the Sri Lankan art scene.
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CONTEMPLATING SRI LANKA'S POLITICAL PAST & PRESENT
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Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Covert, Lionel Wendt Art Centre, 2023
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Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s three-part memorial exhibition in July marked 40 years since the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom, which is understood to be the catalyst for the thirty-year-long civil war in Sri Lanka. Composed of intricate iron filigree symbols, Covert, exhibited at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery made a powerful statement on the dire state of Sri Lanka’s political crisis. The sculptural installation completed after two and a half years, was partially exhibited at the 59th Venice Biennale and Frieze London 2022 in 'Indra's Net' curated by Sandhini Poddar.
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Jagath Weerasinghe's Impetus was an introspection on the artist’s spontaneous and sporadic response to the brutal violence and tumultuous social and political events in Sri Lanka between 1983 and 1989. Featuring a selection of works created from 1989 to the first half of the 1990s, preceding his 1992 Anxiety (Kansawa) show, these early works of the artist lay the ground for his subsequent contemplations and critique of Sri Lankan society and the breakdown of order. The exhibition also featured a collaborative revisit of Shrine of the Innocents, incorporating impressions of clenched fists in clay, a poignant memorial to the missing and lost. |
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Kanesh Thabendran, Unspoken, Saskia Fernando Gallery, 2023
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Unspoken Kanesh Thabendran first solo exhibition oscillated between documentation and commentary. Thabendran's unique combination of digital manipulation, photo-cutting, and collage techniques provides journalistic insight into the changing political, social, and economic environment of Northern Sri Lanka. Informed by the lingering memories of Sri Lanka's Civil War and acute observation of the impact of state intervention, Thabendran’s work offers alternative perspectives, offering insight into experiences that are as personal as it is collective.
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FOSTERING EMERGING TALENT
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Installation view featuring works by Randika de Silva, Saskia Fernando Gallery, 2023 |
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Winners of the first edition of the A4A Production Fund, Aruni Aruni Dharmakirti, Lojithan Ram, and Randika de Silva presented fresh possibilities of visual engagement in the Sri Lankan art landscape as they showcased their works at Saskia Fernando Gallery from 19 January – 11 February 2023. A4A an initiative by the Udayshanth Fernando Foundation in association with Saskia Fernando Gallery is Sri Lanka’s first publicly funded arts grant, aimed at fostering emerging artists in the region by providing them funding and mentorship for the development of their art practice.
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Minal Naomi with her Mural Work on the SFG Wall
Artist and activist, Minal Naomi transformed the SFG Wall at 41, Horton Place with her daguerreotype-inspired mural depicting women from colonial Ceylon and India visual commentary on the colonial legacy, prompting viewers to confront the obscured stories behind the images and challenging conventional perspectives on cultural ownership. The mural which will be featured for twelve months is part of SFG’s attempt to create avenues for emerging talent to showcase their work in public spaces and encourage a more vibrant engagement with visual art.
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The #SupportLocalArt Talk Series represents an effort to establish a crucial platform for discussions on developments within the Sri Lankan art industry. In the third edition of this series, we delved into various developments and obstacles confronting the local art ecosystem. The talks included a conversation with leading art educators Chandraupta Thenuwara, Jagath Weerasinghe and T. Shanaathanan, moderated by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa. The series also explored themes of resistance and response, examining art as and in protest. .
Art South Asia Project (ASAP) partnered with #SupportLocalArt to host a summer series dedicated to the field of modern and contemporary Sri Lankan art. The fourth edition of the series featured a host of leading international art professionals and diaspora artists including Sandhini Poddar, Adjunct Curator for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, Amrita Jhaveri, Co-Founder of Jhaveri Contemporary, Vasantha Yoganathan, French Sri Lankan Artist and Shyma Golden, Sri Lankan American Artist.
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CREATING SHARED SPACES FOR ART ENTHUSIASTS |
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Saskia Fernando Gallery hosted a series of workshops with artists Hema Shironi, Fabienne Francotte, Sabeen Omar, and Salome Nanayakkara at the gallery - providing the participants with a chance to engage with the artists and create beaded animals, and mini sculptures and dabble in paint.
As we look back on these extraordinary highlights, Saskia Fernando Gallery expresses gratitude to our artists, patrons, and supporters for making 2023 a year of artistic discovery and inspiration. We eagerly anticipate what the future holds as we continue to champion and showcase the vibrant art scene of Sri Lanka. Cheers to a new year filled with creativity, expression, and boundless possibilities! |
LOOKING BACK ON 2023
Jagath Weerasinghe, Impetus, Saskia Fernando Gallery, 2023
December 13, 2023