Mr. P. Pushpakanthan

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Mr. P. Pushpakanthan

BFAHons (Arts & Design) (UoJ)

Lecturer (Probationary)

Department of Visual & Technological Arts

Phone: +94 71 928 6301
Email: pushpakanthanp@esn.ac.lk, sppushpskanth@gmail.com

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art & Design), University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka – 2014
  • 2018 Full-time Visiting Scholar, South Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  • 2019 Co-founder and Director, Student Recruitment, TAASI East: Institute for Transformative Arts, Advocacy and social Impact, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka 
  • 2016 – Present, Artist fellow, Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka 
  • 2014 Temporary Lecturer, Department of Art & Design, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Professional Associations

  • 2016 – Present, Artist fellow, Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
  • 2019 Co-founder and Director, Student Recruitment, TAASI East: Institute for Transformative Arts, Advocacy and social Impact, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2019 Wounded Landscapes| Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2018 The Disappearance of Disappearances | History of Art Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  • 2017 Disappearance| Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2016 Inequality | Paradise Road Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Group Exhibitions (Selected)

  • 2019 Look, Stranger! |Serendipity Arts Festival, curated by Rahaab Allana, Goa, India
  • 2019 Five | Baik Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2019 A cross-section |Jaleh Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2019 A Timeless Heritage |Tolworth Recreation Centre, Fullers Way North, UK
  • 2019 Crossing Place, Contemporary Art from Sri Lanka | Baik Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2019 Contemporary Sri Lankan Art| Organized by Theertha International Artists Collective in collaboration with Iranian Cultural Centre in Colombo
  • 2018 When Memory Lives| Artscape Youngplace, Conducted by Asian Research
  • Centre, York University, Toronto, Canada
  • 2018 Living on the Margins | Brunei Gallery (UK), Park Gallery (Nepal), Sapumal Modern Art Museum (Sri Lanka), Conducted by PositiveNegative Ltd, SOAS University of London, UK
  • 2018 Embodying Power |Sapumal Modern Art Museum, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2017 Human Rights Arts Festival | JDA Perera Gallery, Visual and Performing Arts, University, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2017 Silent Auction of Modern & Contemporary Art, Temple Trees Auditorium
  • 2016 Young Subcontinent | Serendipity Arts Festival, curated by Riyas Komu,Goa, India
  • 2016 Conceiving Space | Colombo Art Biennale, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2016 Liminal Space: Reconfiguring Identity and Space through Contemporary Art | JDA Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2016 Truth to Truth: Visual Art exhibition about transitional justice | Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts. (VAFA), Colombo
  • 2016 C/A/M/P – Contemporary Artists’ Meeting Point | Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo
  • 2015 Shadow Scenes | Colomboscope, curated by Natasha Ginwala, and conceptualized and implemented by EUNIC, which consists of the Goethe Institute, Alliance Francaise de Kotte and British Council
  • 2015 Seven Conversations | Saskia Fernando Gallery, curated by Sharmini Pereira and T.Shanathanan, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2013 Open edit Mobile library | Park Street Mews, Colombo, Conducted by Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong and Raking Leaves, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 2013 The SAARC Artist Camp and Exhibition of Paintings | National Art Gallery, Male, Maldives

Collections

  • Private collections in Sri Lanka, India, Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Hawaii, Denmark, Japan, London, Spain, Toronto, Scotland, Boston & New York
  • 2018 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, NY
  • 2018 SOAS, University of London, UK
  • 2017 Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka
  • 2017 Positive Negatives Ltd., UK Home Office, London
  • 2013 SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo

Conferences, Panels and/or Talks

  • 2018 Artist Talk – When Memory Lives, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto, Ontario
  • 2018 Contemporary Visual Art in the North and East of Sri Lanka, Tamil Studies Symposium, York University
  • 2018 Artist Talk – The Disappearance of Disappearances, incorporated with Sri Lanka
  • Graduate Student Conference, the History of Art Gallery, Cornell University, NY
  • 2018 “Mainstreaming Subaltern Arts & Practices: Opportunities, Obstacles and
  • Dangers: A Journey from the Margins or to the Margins?” Paper presented at International Conference, SVIAS, Eastern University, Sri Lanka.
  • 2018 Panel discussion – Living on the Margins, Sapumal Modern Art Museum, Sri Lanka
  • 2017 Artist Talk – Memorialization and Personal Narratives, the St. John‟s Church, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
  • 2017 “Burning memories” Conference Paper presented at International Conference on Challenges and Importance of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Times of War and Post War, SVIAS, Eastern University, Sri Lanka.
  • 2015 “Introducing performance Art”, Art Circle, Arts Faculty, University of Jaffna

Curatorial Projects

  • 2020 Contemporary Art from Sri Lanka | Co-Curator, Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
  • 2019 Degree Show-2019 | Curator, SVIAS, Eastern University, Sri Lanka
  • 2016 Visual Art Exhibition | Curator, WINGS 2016 – “A festival of arts on reconciliation”
  • Swami Vipulananda Memorial Auditorium, Ampara, Sri Lanka

Press archive (selected)

  • 2018 Community Art Workshop with S.P.Pushpakanthan, by Tamil Studies and
  • Resources, and York Centre for Asian Research – YCAR, York University, Ontario
  • 2016 Young Subcontinent, Goa, India
  • 2016 Art and Transitional Justice contacted by Center for policy alternative
  • (CPA) and VAFA, at Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue, Colombo
  • 2015 CAMP Creative Art workshop. (Contemporary Artist meeting point),
  • Implemented by Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts (VAFA), Colombo
  • 2014 “KAVITHA Talent Programme 2013/2014 – Painting workshop” National
  • Institute of Education, Maharagma, Srilanka
  • 2013 Drawing workshop collaborate with Theertha International Artists Collective
  • 2013 SAARC Artist Camp, Kuda Bandos, Maldives
  • 2020 Visiting Fellow (GCRF), Department of Philosophy & Art history and Department of Law, University of Essex, London 
  • 2019 Fulbright Master’s Award 2019-2020 

  • 2019  Artist Fellow, Summer School, Decolonizing Thought, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, Conducted by Goldsmiths College, University of London
  • 2018 South Asian Studies Fellowship 2018, awarded by The South Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  • 2014 The Best Creative Artist of the Year 2013/2014 in Sri Lanka, KAVITHA Talent, awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Colombo, Sri Lanka 

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DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL & TECHNOLOGICAL ART