4-5 / 40
4
5
Born in 1951, Senaka Senanayake is one of Sri Lanka’s
leading artists. He achieved early fame with an exhibition
ofworks inColombo in1959.Throughhisvividdepictions
of Sri Lanka’s rainforests, Senanayake draws the viewer’s
attention to their rapid depletion. Each canvas takes
two to three weeks to complete, as layer upon layer of
paint is added, creating depth and luminescence.
Speaking about his passion for the rainforest,
Senanayake says, “About twenty years ago my cousin, an
environmentalist living in Ecuador visited us in Colombo
and inspired me to paint images of Sri Lankan fauna
and flora. I opted to paint the positive aspects of the
rainforest rather than the destruction of it. As an artist
I felt I could use my medium to highlight the need to
preserve the remaining rainforests of Sri Lanka where we
have lost about 70% of this spectacular and irreplaceable
environment.”
Senanayake has held over a hundred exhibitions around
the world. His work has been commissioned for the
White House in Washington, DC, and the United
Nations in New York. Senanayake’s paintings are part of
several private and public collections.
SENAKA SENANAYAKE