For Prasadani Kumari art is something personal and a representation of herself. She expresses her feelings and emotions through the medium of art. It is also a means of overcoming trauma and sorrow. Indeed as the saying goes “The beauty of art is that there are no rules” ( Mia Michaels). We had a chat with her about her upcoming exhibition in Colombo as well as exhibiting her paintings in Paris.

Q TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXHIBITION IN COLOMBO AND THE ONE IN PARIS? My second solo exhibition “Mirror, Mirror” will be held at the Harold Peiris Gallery, Lionel Wendt Art Centre, from September 01—03. The opening ceremony will be on September 01 at 5.30 pm and will include a musical performance by Indika Upamali. The next one is the Paris International Contemporary Art Fair in Paris. It is the Van Gogh Art Gallery in Spain that represents me as an artist there, as it is a must that artists are directed through a gallery. It will be held from September 22-24.

Q IT IS QUITE PRESTIGIOUS TO BE EXHIBITING IN PARIS. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT AND HOW DID THIS OPPORTUNITY COME YOUR WAY? Yes, it is. Artists cannot individually take part in most of the international art fairs; they have to go through a recognised art gallery. I got the opportunity to get my paintings into the Paris International Contemporary Art Fair thanks to the Van Gogh Art Gallery of Spain. They contacted me on social media. It is really good exposure for an artist to participate at a fair like this, with about 4000 international artists.

Q MANY OF YOUR PAINTINGS PORTRAY WOMEN. ANY PARTICULAR REASON FOR THIS? I draw for myself and I try to portray the internal traumas, sorrows, joys, or basically the soul onto the canvas. Therefore, it is a graphic representation of myself. Who else’s face would demonstrate my inner soul better than my own? That is why all these paintings have come out as self-portraits. I believe that you must look at yourself before you look at society. Maybe my paintings may indirectly give a message of healing as they are a visual representation of my journey of healing or becoming a better ‘me.’ Nevertheless, my intention is not to convey any message to society.

Q HOW DO YOU HOPE TO BE INVOLVED IN ART IN THE FUTURE? Art is a journey for me, however, it is never a race. So I just work at my own pace and never rush. What matters for me is continuing the journey rather than having goals and achieving them. I would like to explore where art would take me.

TEXT Kshalini Nonis