Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah on War, Ecology, and Healing Through Art

Sri Lankan multidisciplinary artist Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah, based in Batticaloa, creates work spanning drawing, painting, video, sculpture, installation, and performance. His practice is deeply informed by the legacy of Sri Lanka's Civil War (1983–2009) and the potential of art to heal. Pakkiyarajah seeks to give voice to victims of conflict and trauma, while also addressing environmental damage and colonial impacts. He uses metaphors like mycelium and hyphae to explore networks of decomposition and regeneration. His solo exhibition 'No Race, No Colour' is on view at Experimenter Colaba, Mumbai, from 11 November to 20 December. In an interview with ArtReview Asia, Pakkiyarajah discusses his shift away from depicting the human body directly, choosing instead to engage audiences through complex craftsmanship. He recounts personal memories, including his father's burial under palmyra palms and a torture camp experience in high school. He also describes finding a charred photo album in Mullivaikkal, which led him to tear and burn his drawings. Pakkiyarajah notes the difficulty of showing art in Sri Lanka due to limited spaces and audience reluctance, but he persists in creating conversations. He addresses police surveillance of his studio before his 2018 show 'The Disappearance of Disappearances' at Cornell University. His work aims to connect local conflicts to global issues like Palestine, Congo, and Black Lives Matter.