Second A4A exhibition kicks off on 12 Sept.

Malinda Jayasinghe, 2024, Saffron Borders III, Oil Paint on Wood, 15 x 30 cm

• Initiative by Saskia Fernando Gallery in association with Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation 

The Saskia Fernando Gallery, in association with the Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation, has announced a group exhibition featuring the 2024 A4A (Artists for Artists) Production Fund grantees – Dumiduni Illangasinghe, Mayun Kaluthantri, and Malinda Jayasinghe – on 12 September and will run until 3 October at the Saskia Fernando Gallery, 41 Horton Place, Colombo 7.

Dumiduni Illangasinghe, Mayun Kaluthantri, and Malinda Jayasinghe were selected following an Open Call in August 2023, by a panel of judges including Artist and Archaeologist Professor Jagath Weerasinghe, Art South Asia Project Executive Director Nour Aslam, and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka Curator Sandev Handy. The grant recipients reflect a dynamic cross-section of emerging artists within the Sri Lankan contemporary art scene, each bringing distinct voices and perspectives. 

Malinda Jayasinghe expertly uses oil paint to create hyper-realistic images that critically examine the manipulation of borders in Northern Sri Lanka. In his series ‘Saffron Borders’, Jayasinghe’s use of the saffron shade, symbolic of Buddhist heritage, transforms into a menacing presence on the decayed and burnt wooden surfaces of his work, representing the insidious forces at play in the political landscape. 

Mayun Kaluthantri playfully captures the tension between personal agency and societal expectations through warped portraits of individuals. ‘Uniform’ presents individuals trapped between a continuum of exhaustion and relentless labour, allowing a nuanced deliberation of identity and the garbs that define our function in society. 

Dumiduni Illangasinghe’s ‘Untethered Love’ illustrates the cyclical nature of life and connectivity, taking inspiration from the interconnectedness of mycelium networks, using materials susceptible to decay such as paper, coffee, and henna. Across the mediums of sculptural objects, installations, and abstract paintings, the artist reflects on the transience and spirituality inherent in a cyclical existence. 

The Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation is a non-profit organisation established by Annika and Saskia Fernando, with a vision to support and assist projects focused on those affected by cancer, and in parallel, the foundation will focus on sustainable development of the arts in Sri Lanka. Initially established as the Udayshanth Fernando Foundation in 2020, the founders re-envisioned their objective following the passing of their beloved mother, Angelika Fernando in 2022.

In 2021, The Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation launched the Artists for Artists Production Fund (A4A), an initiative to ensure that art practitioners can continue to engage in creative pursuits irrespective of the limitations presented by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. It was conceived as an accessible alternative to more competitive regional and international opportunities to fill a void of locally available options for art practitioners. The initiative aims to create a homegrown environment that encourages art practitioners to push the limits of their creative potential and continue researching and developing new bodies of work. The project has continued to identify sustainable alternatives to fundraising. In July 2023, 30 leading and emerging artists generously reinterpreted Ginger Jars, which were auctioned online and this year, the fundraiser has expanded to include contributions from over 50 artists who will interpret a small canvas, similar to an A4-sized paper. All proceeds from the auction will be in aid of the A4A Production Grant and the Indira Cancer Trust.