Arts
Artists Alley back at Comic Con
Young Viktor - Yuri On Ice (Nivanka Fernando)
Nestled between walls at the Trace Expert City, in Maradana, will be tables displaying months and years of hard work and creative talent based on pop culture and media. Yes, Artists Alley is back at Comic Con on December 7 and 8.
“In the five years since our first Lanka Comic Con event we’ve seen the emergence and rapid development of not just Geek businesses but comics creators, musicians, science fiction writers of international repute, fantastically talented cosplayers and designers and video games developers. This is what we are proudest of, being able to play a part in creating a thriving Geek community in Sri Lanka on so many levels,” says Thilani Samarasinha, the principal organiser of Lanka Comic Con.
Shenuka Corea a.k.a.Baka.Moona
Shenuka Corea, also known as Baka Moona has been drawing since she was little and decided to pursue it as a career a few years ago. Shenuka currently works as a freelance illustrator and animator.
She chose the name ‘owl’ as it was once her nickname and also because she identifies with the dualistic nature of an owl, it being a symbol of wisdom in some cultures and foolishness in others.
“I make art when I have stories I want to tell,” says Shenuka. Shenuka will be selling prints and stickers, as well as original and fan art. As she is interested in several fandoms, she is hopeful her work would meet many interests. One of her mini graphic novels will be on sale as well.
“It was a lot of fun since a bunch of my artist friends and I had tables together. We even planned a group cosplay,” Shenuka says about her experiences at last year’s Artist Alley.
Visit Shenuka’sinstagram page @baka.moona to see more of her art and catch her at the Lanka Comic Con Artist Alley.
Nivanka Fernando a.k.a. Seafaring Vessels Art
“I think art begets art, so appreciating other artists’ work is a big part of creating art for me,” says Nivanka, also known as Seafaring Vessels. As someone who has been drawing since she was a kid, Nivanka got into digital art in a big way when she took up a spot at the 2015 Lanka Comic Con Artists Alley.
The golden trio from Harry Potter (Shenuka Corea)
A writer by profession, she also manages an independent company that provides publishing support services for writers. Nivanka will be focusing on anime and manga themed poster prints, stickers and bookmarks, with special attention to popular anime this year. She also never sells the same art twice, thus everything is one of a kind.
“It was such a great experience! I got to meet so many people with the same passion for fan culture and being able to sell my art made me more confident of its value,” Nivanka recalls last year’s Artist Alley.
“Seafaring vessels are ships, and that’s what I deal in!” Nivanka explains her pseudonym. See more of her art on her Instagram page @Seafaring Vessels Art.