TITLE OF WORK: CORROSION & CATHARSIS 
Silent activism through abstraction. 
DIMENSIONS: 54 X 54 CM 
MEDIUM: gold leaf, acrylic and 
rust stains on canvas 
Year: 2022 
ARTIST STATEMENT - Shaanea Mendis 
Corrosion and Catharsis is a piece I have been working on 
this year, which initially began as a silence 
form of protest and activism through abstraction, 
in response to the political upheaval and 
economic crisis in my country Sri Lanka. 
It is a meditative reflection on the political 
hierarchies and lust for power that are corrosive 
to society over time. 
While working on this piece, I lost my father 
to Cancer in August 2022. For me, this work took
in a new sense and drew parallels to the human 
body, and corrosion and decay of the same. 
Spirituality and healing in an ongoing state 
of sorrow. My work has always been a form of healing 
and reflection on pattern and mark making inspired 
by our organic and textural entanglements 
natural surroundings, amidst noise and chaos. 
A visceral and spiritual experience.