An exhibition of oil and watercolour paintings by Nisansala Karunaratne Rajapaksa titled ‘AUBO’ (Long Life) will be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery Colombo 7 on June 2 and 3 from 9 am to 8 pm. This is Nisansala’s 5th solo art exhibition, which is dedicated to create awareness and raise funds for Chemotherapy Port Project for Paediatric Cancer Patients.

Nisansala Rajapaksa has been in the creative field ever since she was small. She says she has come a long way in the field and has a long way to go as well.

Having received the BFA from California State University, San Jose in Photography and Graphic Design in 2004 she completed her M.A. in Buddhist Studies from the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Kelaniya University in 2015. Armed with an education that spans eastern and western artistic conventions, her art has developed into a mix of modern techniques and Sri Lankan tradition, meticulously held together by a unique sense of colour and perspective.

Nisansala is the founder of Casa Serena Art Gallery, Sri Lanka, showcasing both Sri Lankan and foreign artists. Her work is held in several collections including the personal collection of Sri Padmanabadasa Uttarananda Marthanda Varma Maharaja of Travancore. I hope to add vibrancy and beauty to the Sri Lankan art world, she says.

The Cause

Nisansala’s exhibition is dedicated to create awareness and raise funds for Chemotherapy Port Project for Pediatric Cancer Patients conducted by Cancer Care Association Sri Lanka.

Cancer Care Association (CCA) is (Reg. No: L147405) a non- governmental, voluntary organization in Sri Lanka, established in 2003 by Dr. Samadhi Wishwanath Rajapaksa. CCA hopes to create a dedicated pool of funds to support cancer patients in needs of chemotherapy ports, with special focus on children with cancer.

Each Chemotherapy Port will be a chance at life for a cancer patient. Each one will give a patient freedom from pain. Both of these are the greatest gifts you can give a fellow human being. The gift of “ĀUBO”

About the Artist

Nisansala began her career as an artist when, at only three years old, she sketched a motor vehicle accident on a piece of black paper; a surprisingly conflict-ridden subject matter for a child. Today however, her focus is the opposite. Instead of conflict, there is serenity. Instead of negative action, there is the gentle suggestion of light and movement.

She aims to bring out hidden beauty.

After studying Art for her A Levels at Musaeus College, Nisansala received her BFA from San Jose State University in Photography and Graphic Design in 2004. In 2015, she completed her M.A. in Buddhist Studies from the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Kelaniya University. Armed with an education that spans eastern and western artistic conventions, as well as her own relentless pursuit of originality, her art has developed into a mix of modern techniques and Sri Lankan tradition, meticulously held together by her unique sense of color and perspective.

She founded Casa Serena Art Gallery in Colombo, Sri Lanka, showcasing both Sri Lankan and foreign artists. A harmonious combination of creative freedom and a strong work ethic is central to her work as a curator, and her hope is to add vibrancy and beauty to the Sri Lankan art world. Just as she looks for hidden beauty in her role as an artist, she searches for hidden creativity in her role as a gallery owner.

In her art, one might see an Expressionist sun rising over a realistic, delicately rendered landscape. Abstract shapes and colours live against a background that flirts with illusionistic realism; a paddy field appears as if seen through a lens, three-dimensional flowers move in two-dimensional patterns, the wind-frisked, rushing clouds above a lake become still in their reflection.

An initial suggestion of Cubism melts away as one looks closer, and the softer, lighter touch is revealed to the viewer.

In work that is almost eccentric in its variety, the viewer needs time to discover the signature touches. Spirals often appear, suggesting depth. Movement is alluded to rather than faithfully rendered. The artist’s mood is ever-present. And through it all, a quiet but intransigent continuity of color lives in the work. There is no mistaking an artist who cannot rest until she has found the perfect shade.

It is uncluttered work, but no canvas suggests emptiness. Each painting is as full as it needs to be, and no more. Therein lies the appeal.

The simplest brushstrokes and the more complex designs are united by an elusive simplicity, and one is soon reminded that all artists know when to begin, but the difficulty is knowing when to stop. She knows when to stop.

“The art on the wall must talk,” she says. And it speaks gently. It is friendly art, existing in a positive space, its message as quiet and unhurried as the seemingly effortless brushstrokes.

Thus one might theorize that the pleasure of viewing Nisansala’s work is that she has learned not to force the painting into being, but to let it come to her as it will. Perhaps as a result, her work does not force the viewer to engage with it.

Instead, the paintings invite a reflective interest, and in anxious world where beauty often becomes yet another commodity, an artistic vision that celebrates serenity and loveliness for its own sake is, perhaps, what is needed to allow the viewer to stop.

And take a breath.