Artists that are taking part in Unawatuna smiles round 2. Many more artists are still to confirm . If you are an artist of any kind or know a friend who would like to take part. Get in contact with us ASAP.
self taught artist
1967 Born in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
Solo Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2013 Paradise road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2011 Saskia Fernando Gallery & Paradise Road
Galleries,Colombo,Sri lanka
2011 Lionel Wendt, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2008 Paradise road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2004 Paradise road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2003 Paradise road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2002 Gallery 706, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2001 Gallery Mount Castle, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2000 Gallery 706, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1998 Gallery Mount Castle, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1997 Heritage Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Group Exhibitions
2012 SAARC International Conferevce on Archaeology of
Buddhisaam,J,A,D,Perer Gllery Colombo
2012 Colombo Art Biennale,Hempel Gallerie Colombo, Sri
Lanka
2010 Privatno i Javno-2010, Sarajevo
2009 Colombo Art Biennale, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2003 ‘The Omnibus’ D.S.Senanayake Library hall, Kandy,
Sri Lanka
2002 Nawakalakaruwo”( George Keyt Foundation ) Colombo.
Chanudi Wickramasinha
Chanudi Wickramasinha, is an artist/designer based in Sri Lanka. She is a qualified mental health professional and a registered art psychotherapist who believes in the use of art and creativity in life enrichment and positive change of individuals & communities.
Having shown her creative talents as a multifaceted, passionate young artist from her childhood, Chanudi has gradually developed her interest to become a creative personality. She is an academically trained artist and a designer specialized in fashion and textiles. As a firm believer of reformative, rehabilitative and therapeutic values of art, currently Chanudi is involved in providing art psychotherapy and psychosocial support to a diverse clientele from various backgrounds.
As a mental health professional Chanudi's expertise are in psychosocial intervention, forensic rehabilitation, children with special needs, people living with HIV and substance abuse. She works as a mental health counsellor, lecturer and humanitarian worker. Social activism being a necessary part of her life Chanudi's lifelong passion has always been into working with minorities and marginalized populations, thereby helping to elevate their quality of life in whichever small way that she could.
Chanudi is keen in photography and during her leisure time she writes poetry and works on her own collection of 'poemimages'.
http://chanuwick.weebly.com
Ruvin de Silva
Ruvin has
become well-known for his talent as an actor, having performed to critical
acclaim in Chatroom, The Travelling Circus, Rondo & Paraya. Besides his
work with Mind Adventures and Tracy Holsinger, he has also appeared in Jake
Oorloff’s A Bedtime Story, Steve De La Zilwa’s Mountain Language and the BBC
radio production The Last Time I saw Richard. He was also casted as Raju in the
movie Vara directed by Khyentse Norbu.
Having turned
his hand to directing more recently, he has directed two short plays, Nine and
Starving Children for the Noir Theatre Festival (2011) in Colombo, produced by
Stage Light and Magic. His debut feature-length show as a director was for Mind
Adventures; After Class (2013) was an original script by a young Sri Lankan
writer, Jithendra Seneviratne.
Ruvin holds a BA in Graphic Design
and works as a photographer and is the Co-Associate Artistic Director for Mind
Adventures Theatre Company. He was a finalist at the Fashion Asia Awards 2013
and was nominated for the Asian Top Fashion Photographer of the year.
Thaji Dias
Thaji Dias (dancer) is the gifted grand-daughter of Sri Lanka’s illustrious dancers, Chitrasena and Vajira. She learned Kandyan Dance since she was an infant, under the tutelage of Upeka Chitrasena and Anjalika Melwani, has performed with the Chitrasena Dance Company since 2000 and is the principal dancer of the Company.
THAJI DIAS (Principal Dancer) is currently the principal dancer of the Chitrasena Dance Company and is the youngest granddaughter of Sri Lanka’s pre eminent, illustrious dance duo, Chitrasena and Vajira.
“Thaji is the keystone. In and through her is ritual pegged to history straining creatively with a vitality driven by youth, resulting in performances such as those in ‘Dancing for the Gods’ that are as technically precise as they are refreshingly ingenious.”*
Thaji started touring with the Dance Company in 2000 when she had the rare opportunity to participate in an international festival in Paris at the Theatre Du Soleil as guest of Ariane Mounchkine, touring with her aunt Upeka. She has been performing nationally and internationally with the Dance Company since.
From July 2011, Thaji has been one of the two dancers representing the Chitrasena Dance Company in their first international collaboration – Samhära – on invitation by the world renowned Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India. She has travelled with this production twice to the USA (2012 & 2013), many cities in India including prestigious dance festivals such as Ignite Festival for Contemporary Dance - New Delhi, Konark Festival - Odisha, Music Academy Dance Festival - Chennai and Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts, Singapore.
*by Sanjana Hattotuwa – “Thoughts on Dancing for the Gods” - 2010
Mirshad Buckman
www.paranoidearthling.com
Luka Nina Alagiyawanna
WEBSITE
http://luka.alagiyawanna.com
VITA
Luka Nina Alagiyawanna, born in Berlin in 1990, grew up in a multicultural environment with a german/srilankan background.
After she assisted various photographers, she deceided to study photography (Bachelor Of Arts B.A.) at Berliner Technische
Kunsthochschule. During her studies she started freelancing in the fields of portrait and fashion.
In her free projects, she mainly concentrates on personal driven topics concerning issues of identity and life in society. In doing so she generally works on portraits and stills of the surrounding with a subjective documentary approach.
In 2013 she gained first teaching experience in running an HNC Photography (Northumbria approved) course at Academy of Design Colombo.
Luka‘s work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions in Berlin, Colombo and London. Now she is living and working both, in Berlin and Colombo
Tim Claessen
TimTim - Adventures in House
Tim stands out as Colombo’s most respected and preeminent DJ, promoter and event organizer with a reputation for delivering excellent music and producing events with quality international artistes & fantastic stage sets in a career spanning nearly two decades.
Multi talented and versatile, his knack of playing music to suit any event makes him one of the most sought after artistes on the island.
Entertaining generations of friends and families at a variety of social gatherings and major events, he continues to bring out class and quality in all his artistic endeavors.
It’s a good bet that there is not a single venue’s dance floor to be found in town that has not experienced one of his sets in their full glory.
He designs all his own advertising material and has an extensive and ever increasing following to which he promotes his upcoming artistic activities. He shares his taste in music online via monthly pod casts of mixes of carefully selected music with his fans.
MIXCLOUD:
http://www.mixcloud.com/timclaessen/
Tim Claessen
0722066466
Nihara Fernando
Helga Desilva Blow Perera
Natalie Soysa
At the core of it, I'm an ideas person. And a jill of many trades.
Firstly theater. A 17 year long affair as an actress, make-up artist and occassional director of school theater.
Secondly advertising. A 13 year long
career as a strategist & creative which I retired from in 2010, but
continue to consult for on a project basis.
Thirdly, and most importantly -
photography. A passion I discovered late in life and continue to explore artistically,
conceptually and also from a social documentary perspective.
Next, as a writer; blogger,
journalist, poet, copywriter A craft I now use mainly to supplement my
photography or voice an opinion for a cause I'm passionate about. These days,
its mainly about the arts as a tool for advocacy and development.
Currently heading the arts programme at the British Council, in Sri Lanka's, helping to facilitate artist development & showcasing opportunities.
Dj Dishan
(Dishan Weerasinghe)
Dishan first got his hands on a console in 2004, and thereon began a passionate affair with music that continues to date. Starting off with retro, by 2006 Dishan had experimented with a wide variety of music from which he discovered a personal affinity to a number of genres of electronic music - minimal techno, progressive, trance, deep-house and funky house.
He is known for encouraging party-goers to have the best time ever, dancing with them, trade mark smile happily in place. For the remarkably good natured manner in which he interacts with friends, fans and strangers alike, Dishan is fondly known as 'DJ Malli' - " Little Brother ".
Born and bred in the coastal South, Dishan familiarized himself with the crowds of Colombo revelers spinning through the party towns of Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa, and was soon roped in to play in the Big City.
Dishan has since joined a star line-up of DJ's ripping tunes at raves and events all over the island. He is most often seen in action at Hikkaduwa , Arugambay , Unawatuna.
Web Sites
http://djdishan.com/
https://www.facebook.com/djdishan/info
https://www.facebook.com/dishanw
https://twitter.com/Dj_Dishan
http://dj.beatport.com/dishan
https://soundcloud.com/djdishan
http://djdishan.podomatic.com/
Dj Dr.Baby
Dr Baby ‘s love of the electronic music has been in his blood since the early days and has been pumping the best Electronic tunes.His music has now progressed to more minimal techno,Tech House,Deep House and psychedelic trance in his quest to rock your dance floor with a newer, funky, style and flavor you’re sure to love.
Currently playing every Thursday and Saturday at Chilli Bong Cafe(Unawatuna), Riddim (Unawatuna),and Mambo's (Arugambay,Hikkaduwa) and Sababa (Whiskey Point Arugambay)trespectively; Dr Baby’s is the perfect remedy to today's manic rave craze. His music ,charm and energy is the perfect accompaniment to any rave or beach party,as he lays down nothing but heat on the dancefloors.
"Trust Me.....I'm a Doctor"
Established in 2006 Gas Entertainers came about with the sole purpose of taking Down South entertainment to a whole new paradigm. Be it supplying Sound Systems, Lighting Systems, Multimedia, or Stages, the team of DJ's behind Gas Entertainers put their heart and soul into creating an event, just the way you want it.
The Gas Entertainers is ready, set and raring to to cater to any function you may have in mind, be it a rocking Beach party, a joyous Birthday extravaganza, a flamboyant Wedding or a chilled out Private / Corporate Event.
If its a sunny, party, beach style, island vibe you want, let the Down South boys do the talkin' and the walkin'.
Let them Blow You Up!
https://www.facebook.com/TheGasEntertainers/info
+94 912248826 +94 776081277
Hania Luthufi
https://www.facebook.com/hania.luthufi
Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke
Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke is an actor, writer and director, and the Associate Artistic Director of the Mind Adventures Theatre Company. He is a graduate in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College, London. Arun directed the immersive production Paraya at the Rio Hotel in October 2013. His other work on the Sri Lankan stage include conceiving and co-directing the 2011 production Rondo and playing 'William' in Chatroom in 2007. He has worked both in Sri Lanka and London with several devised and immersive performance companies like Frantic Assembly, You Me Bum Bum Train and RETZ. As both a performer and practitioner he worked on productions such as O Brave New World (Retz, 2012), Tanika's Journey (Deafinitely Theatre, 2012), Clover's Lost Petal (CesDas, 2011), and Cotronica (2010)
Gaia Kodithuwakku
"To inspire, empower and heal."
Gaia
Kodithuwakku is a holistic healer and intuitive life coach specializing in
natural and spiritual methods of healing and balancing that promotes overall
physical , mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
She specializes in reiki and energy
healing along with yoga, detox/nutritional programs (in collaboration with
Shivani Perera: wellness consultant) and art therapy to help center and
strengthen the flow of "chi" in individuals.
"Goddess healing by Gaia" (www.facebook.com/goddesshealingbygaia)
is a space manifested to facilitate spiritual growth, transformation and an
overall positively focused mind and body especially in women and children ;
through helping them connect to their authenticity and their true creative
essence.
She
spends the majority of her time working with children, mainly focusing on
creative exercises (art and writing) which goes hand in hand with yoga,
meditation & the observation of nature.
Gaia
is a firm believer of pursuing ones life purpose through creativity and self
expression and overcoming self imposed obstacles, blocks and limitations
through inspiration, empowerment, healing, breaking away from degenerative life
style style choices and evolution though conscious decision making.
Social
Documentary Photographer, Photojournalist and Bohemianism Practitioner in photography
Temporary
Lecturer Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Peradeniya Sri
Lanka
Where am I standing on?
Photography changed me. Simultaneously,
the way I look at the entire environment around me and the way the entire
environment around me look at me. Let me tell it is a wonderful change an
individual could experience in a context like Sri Lanka, where you have a
monotonic life but never a dynamic one. The way I understood photography in the
early stage of the carrier, I would say, is still in me without a single
change. I strongly mean here the gaze I embedded in me regarding the act
photography is still consumes the same level of adrenaline when I am doing it
and brought me in to the very timeless factor that I call ‘intimacy of
shooting’. These things created ‘a way of life’ for me. A way of life to
resolve our very own Asian-island mind set annoyingly asking questions; Who are
you?...Where are you?...and why are you here for?
A Running Life is a Big Lie…So Stop and
look around!
When you feel you are in a situation
where life is running or in other words you are in a track of life where the
speed of life is close to kill the human inside you, personally for me STOP FOR
A MOMENT and CAPTURE that running life is a life changing act. Because, I did
stop for a moment. It means I can stop whenever I want (you can whenever you
want). Then again when I stop and look at the things I captured, the reality I
captured, the running world I would say, truly I feel how fragile and helpless
I am (you are if you did the same) before that reality I captured.
An Addiction I won’t stop, like
breathing!
Addictions play a major role in my
life. Firstly, they establish myself somewhere in the society, secondly sharpened
my perception against the systematic disaster our Lankan/ Human society
continuously faces and finally, trained me how to survive without bow down my
head to the big lie (s) which I refused to believe for the sake of survival as
an individual in the Lankan/ Human society. Photography is the key addiction
that I have in me!
“Society you crazy breed…”
Eddi Vedder sings … “Society you crazy
breed…hope you are not lonely without me…”
I believe our human society is crazy,
ignorantly arrogant and manipulated by animalistic greed. It is a tragedy, and
at the same time, if you ‘stop and look at it’ you will see, it is a comedy of
errors. What I want to do through my pictures is that capturing this tragic
ugliness, force you to stop for a moment and look at it. From there my role, as
the photographer, is over. Then here begins your role, READ,THINK and ACT.
Ruwangi Amarasinghe
http://manavimana.blogspot.com
Buddhima De Mel
Buddhi De Mal (Buddhima De Mel) is the front-man of Sri Lankan Rock N’ Roll Band “Wagon Park”. He is a singer / songwriter, composer of original material and a performer of classic rock hits."
www.wagonpark.com
Manuela Buechler
Manuela Buechler, born 1970 in Lausanne
(Switzerland) lives now
with her husband
and their two children in Colombo.
She is a learnt advertising
painter and studied
Visual Communication / Graphic Design at the
University of
Applied Sciences
and Arts Lucerne in Switzerland.
After gaining experiences as Graphic Designer
in different working fields in Switzerland
and Sri Lanka, she more and more fell into love
with the painted illustration.
Since 2008 she works as a graphic freelancer, but is more than
ever addicted to the pictorial work and holds frequently
exhibitions with her paintings.
“Inspiration for my work I find through daily situations
as they are or could be, through the chromaticity of world
affairs, through travels, through the spontaneity and naïve
curiosity of children and through the time to daydream and observe.”
Jehan Aloysius
https://www.facebook.com/jehan.aloysius
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