SIVASUBRAMANIAM KAJENDRAN
Sivasubramaniam Kajendran (b. 1988, Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka) explores the cycles of life and death, using mother-and-child imagery to symbolize strength, resilience, and the promise of the future. Inspired by historical depictions of femininity and motherhood as icons of power, his paintings also allude to nature, featuring birds, flowers, and butterflies. With a Fine Arts degree from the University of Jaffna and a Postgraduate degree from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Kajendran has exhibited his work internationally, including in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and the United States. He is a recipient of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Art Scholarship.
Kajendran is known for his vibrant yellow canvases, were solitary, blue and black-toned figures float in monochromatic realms. The burnished yellow backgrounds, inspired by the saffron of the Sri Lankan flag, highlight a shrewd examination of ethno- nationalism. Dressed in flowing white garments, the figures Kajendran depicts are captured mid-motion—floating, flying, or ascending—symbolizing both the ephemeral and the enduring. Kajendran’s practice rooted in his experiences during the Sri Lankan Civil War, pay tribute to both the survivors and the lost, blending themes of tragedy and renewal.
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