agath Ravindra was born in 1963 in Madampe, Puttalam district. From his youngest days, his greatest interest was comic books. Grade 6 saw him drawing some himself, working into the dead of night. By the time the Advanced Levels came around, Jagath had decided that he was going to make a living writing comic books. There was no A/L Art teacher in school, but his principal, seeing his dedication and recognizing his talent, agreed to let him sit the exam.
He went on to receive a BFA from the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Here he realized there was more in paintings than in comics, and decided to change his field. He is today, one of Sri Lanka’s leading artists. Jagath’s manner is unassuming, yet he knows what’s important to him. His art, to him, is passion and very personal. His purpose is to share his experiences with others, through his paintings. He wants his work to be accessible. “If somebody who looks at my paintings, smiles at something that made me smile, and cries at something that made me cry, then I have achieved something.”
“‘Art’ can’t be defined now” Jagath says. “A man could stand on a barrel under a tree in Pitakotte and shout out his opinion. That is expression, and art is essentially expression of self, but the line between random expression and art is very fine. It was not so in the past, when one could tell what was art and what was not.”
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He went on to receive a BFA from the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Here he realized there was more in paintings than in comics, and decided to change his field. He is today, one of Sri Lanka’s leading artists. Jagath’s manner is unassuming, yet he knows what’s important to him. His art, to him, is passion and very personal. His purpose is to share his experiences with others, through his paintings. He wants his work to be accessible. “If somebody who looks at my paintings, smiles at something that made me smile, and cries at something that made me cry, then I have achieved something.”
“‘Art’ can’t be defined now” Jagath says. “A man could stand on a barrel under a tree in Pitakotte and shout out his opinion. That is expression, and art is essentially expression of self, but the line between random expression and art is very fine. It was not so in the past, when one could tell what was art and what was not.”
Read More
September 18, 2025
