‘Beneath The Surface: Gender. Power. Inequality’ by the Visual Artists for Non-Violent Living is being exhibited from 4-13 October at Curado Art Space, Colombo 5. Spearheaded by visual artist and activist Kamala Vasuki, this collective of visual artists commenced their journey as a group in 2017 in Mullaitivu and have travelled through Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna exhibiting their work through the years of 2018 and 2019. The 2020 version of this exhibition was special as it was held in an open space on the Kallady Bridge. On this tenth occasion of their collective efforts in addressing non-violent living, we find six artists working with different material and bringing together an interesting mix of paintings, installation, and other visual art forms to discuss issues pertinent to the present moment.

Working with Batticaloa-based artist Kamala Vasuki, ‘Beneath The Surface’ brings together Susiman Nirmalavasan (from Batticaloa), Kopalapillai Mathiskumar (from Akkaraipattu), M. T. Fathima Rukshana (from Kurunegala), V. Jathiskumar (from Kalmunai), and Ariyamalar Sasireka (also hailing from Batticaloa) to present a collective art exhibition.

Having started in 2017 with a focus on contributing towards the ongoing dialogues on ending violence against women, the collective has also broadened their areas of focus to include the environment, war victims, conflict, and related matter having a bearing on our day-to-day lives.

While the conceptual thrust of certain art works stood out for their outspoken assertion, in another set of paintings the material used, the visual depiction or the colours and patterns created gave insights, engaging the onlooker with their disquieting assemblage.

Altogether, ‘Beneath The Surface: Gender. Power. Inequality’ brings together paintings on canvas in subdued colours as well as bright and colourful paintings, pen and ink drawings on paper, a cloth book of portraits forming part of an installation, a set of circular shaped paintings framed with woven palmyrah leaves, among others.

A larger than life monochromatic female-figure drawn on off-white cloth hangs as the centre-piece of the exhibition. Almost a curtain that partitions the gallery space, the relaxed pose of the reclining woman, the unusual placing with the positioning of this piece slightly above eye-level, gives the figure a sense of authority as she seems to take stock of each of us as we pass by. She is finally given agency and space to exist, without having to continue to toil.

The installation of a collection of cloth bo leaves hanging from a frame gently sways in the wind, inviting us to tie another hand-made bo leaf from the pile of cloth-leaves placed on a wattiya on the floor. Emulating shared religious customs of Buddhist and Hindu devotees, this re-creation of religious symbols in an art space helps build bridges across possible divides.

In a set of five paintings predominantly with female portraits, the harmonious use of earthy colours and decorative designs entice us from afar. On closer inspection one could decipher the inner and outer pattern of the common double-edged razor blade forming the different designs that decorate the upper portion of each of the five paintings that this art work consists of. Painted with tea dye and ink on paper board, four out of the five paintings also contain female portraits, while the last is bereft of a figure. The element that binds the five paintings in this series is derived of patterns created through razor blades, signifying possible underlying violence, accentuated through the blank frame.

‘Beneath The Surface’ is an insightful exposition where this predominantly Batticaloe-centric group of artists foreground key issues pertinent to present day Sri Lanka. Look forward to the next step in their journey as this collective artistic practice continues to thrive and expand.