Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

In living colour
Art, an integral part of her life, has helped make the vibrant artist she is, and she is going on to her third solo exhibition. Marisa de Silva talks to Shanila De Alwis
“Art is an absorbent, – a tyrant. It demands heart, brain, soul, body, the entireness of its votary. Nothing less will win its highest favour…” Sharing Rosa Bonheur’s point of view, young and talented artist Shanila De Alwis will hold her third solo art exhibition Ethnic Fusion from May 6 – 8 (4 p.m. – 7 p.m. on May 6 and 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on the 7 and 8) at the Harold Peiris Art Gallery.

“When I was a kid, I would just scribble on anything and everything I could get my hands on,” said Shanila, laughing while adding, “so, my parents thought it might be a good idea to put me into an art school.” Thus, painting from the time she was just six or seven, Shanila was practically born with a paintbrush in her hand. Also, having an artist for a great-grand mother, art seemed to be carved in her destiny for sure.

“Art was the first ever thing I liked to do, and now I virtually eat, drink and sleep art,” she said passionately. A past pupil of Holy Family Convent, Colombo 04, she studied art for her A/Levels and then, went on to pursue her studies in Fine Art at the Malaysian Institute of Art, Malaysia. There, she was even awarded a Gold medal for the ‘Best Fine Art Student of 2003,’ among other certificates. Currently a full time artist, Ethnic Fusion is a follow up to her two successful previous exhibitions: Perceptions (2000) and Ethnic Splendour (2004). She has even had her paintings displayed at both local and international art galleries such as the National Art Gallery (Atrium) and the Gallery of the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) in Malaysia, the National Art Gallery, the Artonia Gallery and the Sharika Gallery in Colombo.

Specialising in mixed media, layers and varied paints (mainly acrylics) and textures are typically characteristic of her work. “My art is usually inspired by Sri Lankan culture, motifs, life, rituals and nature, and I build up my subjects on various layers and surfaces (which usually become very heavy). The canvas is never smooth or level,” she added. She uses acrylics mostly, as it dries very fast, enabling her to experiment more. She takes from three days up to a week or more to finish a painting, depending on the size and intricacy of the painting, she said. “I like to take the gist of a real life scene, person or object and create something completely new out of it; something unique. Kind of like my own perception of reality in a sense,” explained Shanila.

Despite her numerous attempts to keep her work within the confines of her room, sometimes Shanila has little choice but to allow for some of her art to spill out into the rest of the house (much to her mother’s distress), due to a lack of space.

“Art, to me, is a very relaxing and almost meditative experience, except when an exhibition is around the corner,” Shanila said with a chuckle. “Also, you must always be 100% focused and keep away from all distractions while at work,” she added.

At MIA, they helped each student discover their own distinct style. They were made to experiment a lot, from reality art to abstract art, etc., until you realised your forte, she said. Thereafter, they also help you develop and perfect your own style. Shanila goes through quite a process before coming to the final stage of her work. Firstly, she starts by applying the various layers and textures, while simultaneously painting on it where necessary. “Sometimes I have a general idea of the subject of my art beforehand, whereas sometimes, I have no idea. So, I keep mixing around with colours and textures etc., until I come up with something interesting… Therefore, my work’s constantly evolving,” she described with enthusiasm.

Shanila works a lot with series and sequence art and some abstracts as well, but she mainly concentrates on figuratives, she said. However, she also does diverse work for various commissioned assignments, where she does customised art to suit the respective interiors and client’s tastes, she said.
“My family, friends and relatives’ encouragement and support has always been the driving force behind me. My sister and parents are ever ready to offer their two cents worth on my work, whether or not it’s asked for” she said jokingly. Her sister has quite a good eye for art, (since she studied it in school as well), so is summoned on occasion to render her critique on Shanila’s work. So much so, that the younger sibling’s suggestions are even taken heed of at times, Shanila added.

“I think most artists are never fully satisfied with their output and are constantly trying to evolve and develop on their technique etc. For instance, I have come a long way from the time of my debut exhibition to now,” she said objectively. Working seven days a week, she considers it imperative to continue, while she’s still in the flow. However, she does give herself a break on and off, when she really needs it, she said.

“Although being an artist in our country may not be the most stable of careers. There’s nothing more fulfilling than being able to
combine your life’s passion with your work, and to have the knowledge of doing something you truly love doing and are good at. However, being your own boss is far from being an easy task, because although you lay down the rules, if you don’t work, it’s your own loss, so you just have to be disciplined and be open to change. Only if you believe in yourself and work hard, will others be able to take your work seriously,” she said determinedly.
Visit www.shaniladealwis.com for more information.

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