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Sandatharaka Abeysinghe (b. 1994, Kandy. Lives in Ampitigoda and works in Athurugiriya) delves into the intricate relationship between nature and the human world, often reflecting on the potential for harmonious coexistence and mutual appreciation in his work. Abeysinghe’s practice is deeply influenced by the rich folklore and rural traditions of his native culture. His work poignantly captures the essence of rural life amidst the relentless advance of modern urbanisation.
Abeysinghe has presented his works at India Art Fair, New Delhi (2025); Galle Literature Festival, Galle (2024); Fabriano in Watercolour, International Watercolour Exhibition, Bologna (2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018); Japan International Watercolour Institute, Tokyo (2021); Yunnan Art University, Yunan (2022); and the 1st International Watercolour Biennale, Kuala Lumpur (2018). His work has also been featured in the Imago Mundi Book Project by the Benetton Foundation.
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I usually see everything as a shape or colour. It might be a perception I need to change, but the way I have reconciled my practice is that a painting to me is something that ends on a wall, and therefore it needs to be beautiful. |
WHAT is your typical day like ?My day usually starts at nine in the morning. It is usually spent working on my paintings. Except for the breaks I take to prepare meals, I usually work throughout the day well into midnight.
Sandatharaka's studio in Athurugiriya |
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TAKE US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEHIND YOUR WORK.I begin with a small sketch, then recreate it in watercolours to determine the colour palette I want to work with and gauge the colours I will use for the final piece. I also use Photoshop to plan the layout of the work and play with the arrangement of plants and flowers. I need to have a very clear idea about the painting I want to create before I start working. It needs to have a direction.
Left to Right :Installation Images : India Art Fair 2025 ; India Art Fair 2024
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How do you understand tradition?Given our proximity to our heritage and cultural traditions, we often feel deeply connected to them. While there are strong semblances to Kandyan culture in my work, many of the elements and different cultures I lean on in my work are determined by my mood and what I feel like drawing in that moment. For instance, the other day, after watching a Kathakali performance online, I was drawn to the Kathakali costume and felt like bringing it into my work. I created two pieces and titled the works Mr. Kathakali on His Land, one of which I donated to my university’s collection. That painting Mr. Kathakali on His Land I, had a costumed performer with a blue face. I usually see everything as a shape or colour. It might be a perception I need to change, but the way I have reconciled my practice is that a painting to me is something that ends on a wall, and therefore it needs to be beautiful.  Left: The Final Practice, 2026, Oil on Linen, 21 x 19 cm Right: Mr. Kathakali on His Land ii, 2026, Watercolour on Paper, 21 x 19 cm
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what are the most important aspects of the painting for you?Composition is the most important aspect of a painting for me. While many artists focus on material, concepts, theory, or colour, my primary concern is composition. I have a deep admiration for Baroque paintings and the way they are structured. I enjoy applying principles like the rule of thirds and dynamic diagonals in my work.
Left: Once Upon a Time, 2026, Oil on Linen, 140 x 243 cm
Center: An Unexpected Sojourn, 2026, Oil on Linen, 122 x 76 cm
Right: Evening Visitors, 2026, Oil on Linen, 122 x 76 cm
BESIDES ILLYA REPIN’S SADKO, WHICH HAS A DEEP INFLUENCE ON YOUR CURRENT PRACTICE, WHAT OTHER WORKS HAVE INSPIRED YOU?I began working with watercolours early on, as most of us do in school. Typically, that is the first medium we are introduced to, before moving on to others. Back then, we didn’t have the kind of access to images that exists today. I used to look at Chinese paintings, especially their use of negative space. Although I didn’t know the names of most of the artists, I drew inspiration from whatever limited resources were available to me at the time.
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Dong Yuan, Xiao and Xiang Rivers, 10th century |
It was only after entering university and receiving formal academic training that I began exploring a wider range of works. One piece that greatly inspired me was Sadko. While I occasionally paint portraits, it is not something I particularly enjoy. Instead, I prefer maintaining a distance from the human figure, an approach that, in my work, is partly influenced by Chinese painting traditions. |
HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE?
Many artists tend to confine themselves to a single medium or work within the frameworks of abstract or conceptual practice. I don’t find it in me to be able to work within this framework. During COVID-19, many expert artists from Europe who work with oil colours began sharing their methods and techniques. I found these extremely beneficial. I learnt quite a few interesting and helpful tips from them. Earlier, we needed to draw from life and paint the world exactly as we see it. Over time, however, I began to feel that, as an artist, I could—and should—also invent something new. I began to approach painting as a space where I could creatively reinterpret the world around me.
Elsewhere, 2024, Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH WATERCOLOUR AND OIL COLOUR?I love discussing this subject. I deliberately moved away from contemporary practices that focus primarily on abstract or conceptual work. Some of the artists whose trajectories I have closely studied, such as Caravaggio and William-Adolphe Bouguereau, mastered both oil and watercolour. Compared to acrylic paint, which was only developed in 1934, oil painting belongs to a much older tradition that stretches back several centuries. It is extremely versatile, requiring a certain kind of discipline. Similar to it, watercolour as a medium also has a very long history behind it. You have to be extremely attentive to the medium and work with it carefully. |
 Caravaggio, 1601, Oil on Canvas, 141 x 196 cm, National Gallery, London. |
I am drawn to the traditions and history that come along with the practice and medium of painting. I find myself belonging to this conversation, and that I am part of the world which was inhabited by some of these legendary masters. |
HOW DOES GROWING UP IN THE RURAL HEART OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS CONTINUE TO SHAPE YOUR PRACTICE?I believe every artist is shaped by their childhood experiences. Our house in the village was surrounded by hills, and there were rivers and lakes winding through it. There was this very old devale which would conduct a yearly perahera in the village, and there were a few elephants which lived there. I remember being fascinated by these animals and the way they interacted with the mahouts and temple residents. My watercolours have often been inspired by the agricultural and pastoral life of my hometown. Much of that environment has since changed, and my village has also been affected by the recent cyclone. Nonetheless, I think, the experiences from childhood are integral to the practice of any artist. Left: Detail of Rituals, 2025, Oil on Linen, 107 x 76 cmRight: Detail of Elsewhere 01, 2024, Oil on Canvas, 188 x 137 cm |
Can you tell us about the origins of your imaginary worlds and how do memory and magic shape the worlds you create?I encountered Sadko by Ilya Repin in 2018, which inspired the underwater world I create in my work. It is not a real world, but it opened up a kind of freedom I had not experienced before. In that space, I could alter the scale of objects at will or introduce elements that will not be expected to belong to that environment, such as a car. There is no limitation. Like children drawing on walls, painting stars and flowers together, I could create a world that is not bound by any rules. My understanding of magic is shaped by the memories of elephants I had seen at the Dewale. As a child, I would watch them frolic in the village lakes and be spellbound by how they seemed to understand and respond to the mahout's instructions. It almost felt like they were capable of understanding human speech. At the time, there were no proper roads in the village. The elephants would walk through these paths, and people would gather to feed them leaves. These moments carried a sense of wonder that felt deeply magical to me. In my work, the perahera does not end after a week. It continues indefinitely, almost into eternity.
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Ilya Repin, 1876, Oil on Canvas, 323 x 230 cm, Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
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What are you currently reading?I am currently reading Magadigata Janakatha, a two-volume collection of folktales, and I am on the second volume. The stories revolve around gods and kings, and occasionally mention places that are familiar to us, such as Mathurata or even my own village, Hanguranketha. When these places appear in stories from the past, they create a strange sense of familiarity and an almost immediate connection. I also read extensively on art history. |
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Left: Old Friends II, 2025, Oil on Linen, 23 x 23 cm Right: Suddi, 2026, Oil on Linen, 23 x 23 cm
Is there something you aspire to learn?I would like to learn printmaking. I am particularly interested in exploring techniques similar to those used by Rembrandt, particularly drypoint. |
What is a place you would like to visit?
I would like to visit major museums to see the masterpieces they house. |
