Shaanea Mendis

Shaanea Mendis D'Silva (1982) is a Sri Lankan 
born visual artist and currently based 
in Copenhagen, Denmark (2022). 
She is educated with a BA (Hons) degree from The 
 Lasalle College of The Arts, Singapore (2007) 
 and has exhibited her work in Singapore, 
Sri Lanka and Mumbai. Her solo feature to 
date has been held at the Bombay Art Society 
(Mumbai), Barefoot Gallery (Colombo), Galle 
Fort Hotel, Kopi Kade, The Lionel Wendt and 
Harold Pieris' Galleries (Colombo). Since she 
moved back to Colombo from Mumbai in 2018 
she has been included in the Art Trail of the Galle 
Literary Festival 2019 and participated in several
workshops supported by Colomboscope, Pro Helvetia, 
EUNIC, The British Council, The North South 
Network, The Alliance Francaise, Theertha 
Artist's Collective and invited by Geoffrey 
Bawa Trust to run the gold leaf workshop, a 
first of the workshop series held at De Saram House . 
She also engaged in research as a
short-term consultant (2020-2021) for the World Bank Group, 
 for 'Creative Cities' that involved engagement 
 with the Tokyo Development Learning Center and 
 Japanese art director Fram Kitagawa and Art Front 
 The Gallery Team, Japan. Shaanea is currently 
 represented by Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo.
Her art practice engages in a meditative 
process where she considers intricate biological 
patterns and textures from nature used as 
metaphors to communicate subtle political and 
social commentary. The use of oxidized 
iron/rust stains, gold leaf and ink are prominent 
along with delicate pen and ink and 
water color renderings. Her digital artwork 
The 'Helmet Man' went viral on social media as 
a symbol of protest in light of the recent
events surrounding the ongoing economic 
crisis in Sri Lanka.