Sandatharaka Abeysinghe

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1994, Lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sandatharaka, an artist born and raised in the village of Ampitigoda in the Maturata region within Sri Lanka's central mountains, profoundly integrates his lived experiences into his creative endeavors. His oeuvre, predominantly executed in oil paints and watercolors, is marked by an experimental approach that seeks to explore the intrinsic properties of these mediums.

His artistic practice is distinguished by a dual focus: the pursuit of aesthetic refinement in the final finish of his works and the articulation of a potent visual language that reflects the strength of the artist's personal expression.

He has also been working on a studio-based practice for a very long time, and his research is integrated with a broad education in traditional academic art. In his continuous experimentation, Sandatharaka maintains a rigorous adherence to the inherent qualities of his chosen mediums, thereby achieving a balance between innovation and tradition.

Additionally, his reputation as an arts educator is well-established, with his pedagogical approach being profoundly shaped by the extensive practical experience he has amassed over his long-standing career in the field.

PROFESSION

  • Artist
  • Instructor (Drawing, Painting)

EDUCATION

  • 2019 BVA (Second Upper Hon) Painting
    University of the Visual & Performing Arts (UVPA), Colombo 07, Sri Lanka

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 2022 - Selected painter for 'Focus on Under 30 Artists forum', Fabriyano in Watercolor, Italy
  • 2020 - Under 30 Artist Achievement, Fabriyano in Watercolor, Italy
  • 2017 - State Art and Sculpture Festival, Final Round
  • 2016 - Fellowship of IWS Sri Lanka

EXHIBITIONS

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

  • 2024 - 'Elsewhere', Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2023 - 'Zones of (In)Visibility', Paradise Road Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2019 - 'Rural Zone', Paradise Road Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2016 - 'Through the mist', JDA Perera Gallery, Colombo,Sri Lanka
  • 2012 - 'Warna', Poramadulla Central Collage, Rikillagaskada, Sri Lanka

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

  • 2024 - SIYAM FEB 2024, Contemporary Artist's Exhibition at Siyam Niwasa, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2024 - Group Exhibition - Galle Literary Festival, Fort Oriental Villa, Galle, Sri Lanka
  • 2023 - ARTISTS OF SRI LANKA: The Beginning, Curado Art Space, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2023 - Kala Pola, Annual Open Art Affair, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2023 - International Art and Design Exhibition, The Faculty of Fine Arts, Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand

INTERNATIONAL

  • 2025 - India Art Fair, New Delhi
  • 2019 - Participation in India-Sri Lanka Ramayan Painting Camp, State Lalith Kala Academy, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
  • 2018 - Participation in India-Sri Lanka Ramayan Painting Camp, State Lalith Kala Academy, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
  • 2017 - Participation in SAARC Artist Camp in Nepal, Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • 2014 - Participation in SAARC Artist Camp in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh

WORKSHOPS

  • Portrait Painting Demonstration at Siam Niwasa, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (23-02-2024)
  • One day Watercolor Workshop in association with Premium Stationers -Pvt Ltd. Colombo, Sri Lanka (13-05-2023)
  • One day Portrait Workshop in Oil (Online) (23-04-2023)
  • Painting Workshop at Gallery FourLife Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka (2022)
  • Director of the Six-month Watercolor Workshop at Gallery fourLife Art sessions, Gallery FourLife Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka. (2020/21)
  • One day painting Workshop at Demaro Art Studio, Galle, Sri Lanka (01-03-2020)
  • Live Watercolor Demonstration at State Lalith Kala Academy, in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India, 2018

RESEARCH

  • Rubens and Myth: Visual Narratives in the Representation of the Animal Concept of "Satyr" (2024)
  • A study on the Watercolor medium usage in the Contemporary Art (based on few selected artists). Unpublished Dissertation (2019)
  • Abstracts : Rural life against modernization (based on a practical project) (Submitted for the first Annual Student Research Symposium of the Department of History and Art Theory, Faculty of Visual Art, University of the Visual and Performing Arts) (2019)

CONFERENCE

  • Research Symposium, organized by the Department of History and Art Theory, Faculty of Visual Art, University of the Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo, Sri Lanka (2018)