Hema Shironi’s exhibition “Families ‘Not’ in the List” at Saskia Fernando Gallery

One Loan is Taken to Settle Another I, 2023, Hand Embroidery on Printed Fabric and Collar Stiff, 41 x 22 cm

A Family Photo of Her Husband and Children I, Embroidery on Green Mesh and Canvas, 36 x 44 cm

The Saskia Fernando Gallery is showcasing Hema Shironi’s exhibition “Families ‘Not’ in the List” until 5 September.

Hema Shironi’s art practice is deeply rooted in the observance of the history of colonisation, civil war, displacement, and migration, which she highlights through personal stories and lived experiences. She combines embroidery, mythological imagery, national symbols, bricolage, and installation to inquire cultural identity. Her unique approach incorporates found materials, mismatched fabrics, and loose threads to document and enquire into the shifting socio-political landscape of the country. 

Free Land Ownership to its Citizens, 2024, Appliqué Work and Collar Stiff Stitched on Red Velvet Fabric, 98 x 149 cm

Please Fill Out the Form for Free Rice and a Healthy Diet, Appliqué and Hand Embroidery on Rice Bag, 52 x 75 cm

Hema Shironi’s work is set to be showcased in the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Queensland, Australia in 2025. Her art has previously been featured in Critical Zones, conceived by ZKM|Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe and Colomboscope, Sri Lanka. Her work, ‘They Netted Us,’ was included in the 13th Taipei Biennial: Small World, held at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. 

Shironi earned her BFA from the Ramanathan Fine Arts Academy at the University of Jaffna in 2014 and completed her MFA at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, in 2019.

Artist Hema Shironi

Through her intricate stitching and embroidery on fabric, Shironi explores the circumstances of communities that have been historically overlooked, delving into how identity is shaped by these experiences. Her work focuses on the concept of home as both a sanctuary and an empty void, weaving a broader narrative that encapsulates her journey and extends to the collective experiences of communities.

Memory is grounded in the experience of migration and displacement that defined her childhood. The practice of embroidery and stitching, passed down to the artist from the maternal figures of her family and forged in domesticity, is used with intricate precision and care to recount a melancholic personal and familial journey marked by conflict and loss. 

Shironi delves into her nuanced understanding and relationship with the notion of home, influenced by the uprootedness she has experienced and observed in the communities around her. This concept of home is visually represented through gridded structures that resemble the foundations of a house. Shironi incorporates documentation, commentary, and recollection to create a compelling account that attempts to give voice to the most vulnerable and overlooked in society. 

“Families ‘Not’ In the List” opened on 15 August and will run until 5 September at Saskia Fernando Gallery, 41 Horton Place, Colombo 7. The program for the exhibition will include two artist walkthroughs on 24 and 31 August and a conversation with the artist at the Saskia Fernando Gallery moderated by George Keyt Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Malaka Talwatte.