Nuwan Nalaka holds a Masters of Fine Arts from the Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, India. In his work Nalaka confronts the subjects of nature, spirituality and psychology. His series of monotone landscapes on canvas marouflage rice paper depict typical scenes of the Central Province of the island combined with calligraphic poetry based on local fables. In addition, his work on paper, titled ‘Inner Self’, deals with the subjects of gender and politics, often with the woman or man’s torso painted from the back, waist upwards. Similar to his landscapes he works on detailed smaller imagery within the torso, playing with the contrast of space and symbols by leaving the background completely bare. Nalaka uses traditional techniques of painting to painstakingly work in minute detail on his narrative using symbols and script in combination with bold imagery on textured papers to enhance his imagery.
