Vajira Gunawardena

About

Vajira Gunawardena (born 1971) is an award-winning Sri Lankan painter who received his BFA degree from the state art school in Colombo. He is an internationally recognized artist who has participated in many international artist camps and symposiums. His works are part of numerous private and corporate collections worldwide.

Vajira's large-format figurative semi-abstract paintings carry a sociological mix of sensuous human emotions alongside autobiographical and critical qualities. His creative style effectively merges elements of cubism and pop art with primitive figurative expression, capturing the dynamic essence of movement and the vivacious spirit of daily life. Through rough shapes and vibrant color contrasts, his artwork conveys the relentless energy that drives progress, inviting a thoughtful engagement between new forms and abstraction. Some critics position his expressive style within the outsider art movement.

His works address complex issues about culture and identity while exploring human imperfections or unseen aspects of humanity. Noting that human discourse has collapsed in a global market and digital society, his paintings investigate an evolving relationship between the human body and technology, desire, and the ways that digital devices have fundamentally altered our everyday existence. By following characters of living people in contemporary material culture, he masterfully uses them to symbolize subconscious memories, diversity, and deconstruction.

Exhibitions & Global Presence

He has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions both locally and internationally, spanning a diverse array of global destinations:

• India
• Bangladesh
• United Kingdom
• Netherlands
• Cuba
• The United Nations Office in Geneva
• Germany
• Austria
• The 798 Art Zone in Beijing - China
• Vietnam
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Tanzania

Books & Publications

• "The Power of Sri Lankan Art - 1943/2012" by Juliet Coombe, Sir Serendipity Publishing House - 2012.
• "Artful Resistance: Contemporary Art Forms from Sri Lanka", Edited by Sylvia S. Kasprycki and Doris I. Stambrau, ZKF Publishers in Germany - 2012.

Museums & Public Collections

His works are proudly represented in several public institutional collections abroad, including:

• Andaman Art Museum and Culture Center, Krabi Province - Thailand
• Takhman-28 Art Foundation - India
• SAARC Cultural Foundation - Sri Lanka
• Industrial Fine Arts University Museum - Vietnam
• New Era University College and Southern University College - Malaysia
• Exclamation Gallery, 798 Art Zone in Beijing, China
• Galeri Seni Mutiara, Penang, Malaysia
• The Culture Story Gallery - Singapore
• Lee Gardens Hotel - Hat Yai, Thailand
• Chaaya Tranz Hotel Lobby, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka