Nature, civil war influenced Sri Lankan artist Shaanea Mendis D'Silva's art

Bridging the Gap supports child educationSri Lanka in the 1980s saw political strife of epic proportions between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils catapulting the island nation into a bloody civil war and a series of horrific events that lasted 25 years Beginning from the burning down of the Jaffna library orchestrated by members of the ruling party in 1981 the highly politicised youth uprising to the formation of militant groups the war ended seeing thousands killedIt was in the throes of these tumultuous times that Shanea Mendis DSilva discovered patterns and stories that found their way on to canvases and helped her bloom into an artist whose work captures movingly and dauntingly the mind of a bystander growing up in a wartorn nationDr Kavita PaiNow based in Mumbai DSilva is gearing up for her first solo exhibition in India Her work deeply inspired by the impact of political turmoil makes use of rusting nails and a process called markmaking to create textures reminiscent of patterns found in our natural surroundings such as those on a leaf or a decaying wallI grew up during the civil war but I was privileged I lived in Colombo so I wasnt exposed to the violence as much because it took place in the north and the east At the same time I remember my parents being scared to send us out because they werent sure if wed make it back alive I have had bombs going off on either side of the school I studied in And initially I didnt consciously relate my work to the war until the relationship between iron and blood struck me I use rusted nails to develop patterns and when they are mixed with water the smell is very similar to that of blood That made me see what I was doing in a new light The bigger artworks always reminded me of wornout walls that have been damaged in a war zone DSilva explainsThe use of gold as a background for the nails to rust on is a commentary on the political hierarchy that exists in all societies as gold represents wealth and power Its a reflection on politicians not just in Sri Lanka but of any government that works towards the benefit of rulers rather than the ruled she says explaining the evolution of her work from her first series in 2006 to the new one which will be showcased at the exhibition She adds I believe we are all part of a larger picture which is why I named the first series Cellscapes representative of the smallest unit of life And the new one is called Regeneration which is to indicate how cells modify and regenerate just like my work hasShanea Mendis D SilvaThe exhibition which is a collaborative effort between DSilva and Janata Seva Sangh mdash a trust founded by former mayor Dr Prabhakar S Pai in 1962 and is now under the aegis of his daughter Dr Kavita Pai endocrinologist mdash is a charitable event The funds raised will be donated for free medical aid and to help initiatives like Bridging the Gap that aid in the education of the underprivilegedRust stains and primer on handmade paperI am passionate about what I do and find satisfaction in serving people especially senior citizens and children My father was always very actively involved and I remember when I was studying endocrinology in Hinduja College I would sometimes get a message that someone had come to meet me That was unusual as I was a junior until I learnt that they had met my father on the bus or somewhere and he had recommended them to me So we carry forward my fathers legacy with the work we do at this organisation Pai signs offFrom June 1 to 7 11 am to 7 pmAT The Bombay Art Society Bandra Reclamation Bandra WestCALL 26513466Watercolour on paperLessons in paintingMarkmaking is the use of rusted or rusting iron nails on canvas or paper to get rust stainsFor the purpose of gaining the imprint of a rust stain water is used on the iron nails as the combination along with oxygen replicates natures organic way of corroding ironCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates