From Colombo to Delhi: Shanaka Kulathunga’s Journey Through Art and Observation

“I realised there wasn’t even a proper art teacher in my school,” recalls Shanaka Kulathunga. “The person teaching the subject was actually an electronics teacher, so he wasn’t formally qualified in art.” Yet, from that unlikely beginning emerged an artistic practice that would go on to shape one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive contemporary visual voices. 

Born near Colombo, Shanaka Kulathunga grew up in a semi-urban landscape that remained deeply connected to village life. Surrounded by paddy fields, flowing streams, cattle, and dense greenery, much of his childhood unfolded outdoors — memories that continue to quietly shape the emotional and visual language of his work even today.

Over the years, Shanaka has found inspiration in artists with sharply distinct visual languages. Subodh Gupta’s use of everyday objects and social narratives, Kehinde Wiley’s bold, ornate portraiture, and Lucian Freud’s raw, psychologically charged realism all played a role in shaping his artistic sensibility.

Through his work, he hopes viewers pause and reflect on the moments often missed in the rush of everyday life, and the quiet emotional weight carried within increasingly busy lifestyles, while also emphasising the importance of staying connected to nature.

At a time when being an artist has become increasingly fluid, skill remains non-negotiable for him. He places immense value on technique and craft, yet that doesn't stop him from experimenting. From figurative paintings and landscapes to charcoal drawings and conceptual works, Kulathunga's practice resists a single medium, driven by a constant urge to explore.

Painting remains central, but sculpting is a medium he hopes to pursue further, drawn to its technical and structural complexities. Away from canvases, he speaks of an inclination towards mathematics and science — fields that, much like art, rely on curiosity, precision, and constant exploration.

Ahead of Silent Stories — his first solo exhibition in India, organised by Gallery Silver Scapes and curated by Archana Khare-Ghose — Robb Report India was in conversation with Kulathunga about memory, everyday life, and the experiences growing up in Sri Lanka that continue to shape his artistic practice.

Robb Report India: Sri Lanka clearly seems to have influenced your artistic language — the people, the landscape, the culture. How did that shape you?

Shanaka Kulathunga:  Although I was born near Colombo, I grew up in a semi-urban environment that was still closely connected to village life. I was surrounded by nature, and those memories continue to inspire my work. Sri Lanka’s cultural and Buddhist festivals, especially Vesak and Poson, also had a strong visual impact on me while growing up. I have always been fascinated by the deep cultural connection between India and Sri Lanka, particularly how Buddhism and early Indian craftsmen influenced many Sri Lankan art forms. Places like Sigiriya and its frescoes further shaped my interest in storytelling through visual art.

RR: Were there any artists, Sri Lankan or otherwise, who influenced your thinking early on?

SK: One of my biggest inspirations was the National Art Gallery in Colombo, where I first encountered the works of Sri Lankan masters shaped by European realism. That experience completely changed the way I looked at art. I was particularly drawn to artists like David Paynter, A. C. G. S. Amarasekara, and George Keyt, whose approach to realism deeply inspired me. Seeing their work made me question how I could bring that same sense of realism into my own practice. Sadly, the gallery has remained closed for renovations for nearly 16 years now, despite the important role it played in shaping artists like me.

RR: Your work feels deeply observational. How do you choose your subjects?

SK: My themes have always been quite versatile. After school, I joined the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts, training in academic painting within a studio environment — working with live models much like traditional European ateliers. That process taught me anatomy, body structure, skin tones, and how to bring a figure to life on canvas.

My mentor, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, had studied figurative realism in Russia for nearly a decade, and I was fortunate to inherit those classical techniques through him. I continued painting live models long after graduating, wanting to constantly refine my craft.

While many argue that skill is not essential in contemporary art, I have always been drawn to precision and realism. I deeply admire 15th and 16th-century European masters and their remarkable realism — a fascination that over time drew me towards mythology, surreal figures, and philosophical explorations of human nature, what I call my 'magical themes'.

RR: Do you think people view art differently today compared to the past?

SK: In Sri Lanka, the art scene is still largely centred around Colombo and remains relatively small, with limited gallery spaces and fewer opportunities for artists to exhibit regularly. But there is a noticeable shift taking place. Younger audiences are becoming far more engaged with art, attending exhibitions, and showing genuine curiosity towards artistic practices. Social media has also opened new doors, allowing artists to connect with viewers across the world and receive immediate visibility and encouragement, which continues to motivate the creative process. 

RR: Has travel influenced or shaped your artistic practice in any way? 

SK: Yes, travel has deeply influenced my practice. In 2018, I travelled to China through a programme organised by the Chinese Cultural Centre in Colombo, where I experienced their opera, cinema culture, and film villages in Ningxia. That journey later inspired a series of works rooted in theatrical and cinematic imagery.

I later participated in exhibitions in Kyrgyzstan and attended an international art camp in Bhubaneswar organised by Sri Sri University, where visiting the Konark Sun Temple and working alongside artists from different countries became equally inspiring experiences. On my way back, I spent time exploring galleries and museums in Delhi. At the time, I never imagined that just a few years later, I would be exhibiting my own work in the same city.

RR: How do you deal with creative blocks?

SK: For me, inspiration comes from constant observation and learning. Travelling, nature, people, cultural experiences and even daily life continue to influence my work. I believe staying curious is the most important thing for an artist.

RR: At a time when AI-generated art and digital tools are rapidly changing the creative landscape, how do you view the role of traditional artistic skill and human emotion in contemporary art?

SK: I find the growing conversation around AI in art quite hopeless and baseless in many ways. We are slowly reaching a point where it may become impossible to recognise what is real and what is artificially created, and that feels deeply unsettling to me. I think the future could become quite frightening if we lose that sense of authenticity and human connection in creative work.