Gethsemane - A Solo Exhibition by S. Nirmalavasan

Through his installation works, Nirmalavasan has gained recognition both nationally and internationally. To date, he has presented 14 solo exhibitions and participated in 30 group exhibitions in Sri Lanka and abroad

Earlier, in his acclaimed series “Karuvadugal” (Dry Fish), Nirmalavasan poignantly addressed the memories and absences of those who disappeared during the war, and the grief that continues to surround them

S. Nirmalavasan is a Sri Lankan Tamil artist who works extensively with painting and installation, positioning himself as a significant and promising figure within the contemporary Sri Lankan art scene. As both an artist and an art activist, his practice reflects a profound engagement with the social and cultural realities of his context.
Through his installation works, Nirmalavasan has gained recognition both nationally and internationally. To date, he has presented 14 solo exhibitions and participated in 30 group exhibitions in Sri Lanka and abroad.
The exhibition is organised with the support of the Old Boys’ Association of St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa, together with the Friends’ Circle for Local Knowledge and Skills (Third Eye Group).
Conceived within the Catholic cultural landscape of Batticaloa, “Gethsemane” offers a cross-section of the profound and devastating consequences of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which spanned over three decades.
Earlier, in his acclaimed series “Karuvadugal” (Dry Fish), Nirmalavasan poignantly addressed the memories and absences of those who disappeared during the war, and the grief that continues to surround them. This new body of work extends that trajectory, presenting “Gethsemane” as another dimension of his ongoing artistic inquiry.
Grounded in figurative painting, the exhibition revisits the narratives of Catholic priests who emerged as voices of the oppressed during the war, as well as the tragic story of catechism students killed in the 2000 Vesak Day bomb blast in Batticaloa.
Through these works, Nirmalavasan seeks not only to memorialise the lives lost but also to offer solace to those still affected, raising a resolute voice against war and violence infused with the moral integrity and ethical responsibility of an artist.