Shrine Empire Gallery » Anoli Perera

Bio CV Exhibitions

Silent Sitters – Chair Series I

Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Education

1991 Artworks: The Visual Art School for Continuing Education, Princeton, New Jersey, USA (Short Course on Stone Carving &Apprenticeship under sculptor Milt Liebson at Artworks
1989 Studio Three: Adult Education Art Group. Continuing Education Program, Santa Barbara City College, California, USA.
1986 Post Graduate Diploma in International Affairs. Bandaranaike Center for International Studies, Sri Lanka.
1984 B.A in Political Science, Sociology, and Economics. University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Solo Exhibitions

2022
Monsters and Mortals, Barefoot Gallery, Sri Lanka

2018
The City: Janus Faced, Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi, India

2016
Memory Keeper, Hempel Gallaries, Colombo, Sri Lanka

2013
Memory Keeper, Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi, India

2012
Comfort Zones, Kashi Gallery, Kochi, India

2011
Kuveni: The Queen of Lanka, Hempel Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka

2007
Comfort Zones, Red Dot Gallery, Pita Kotte, Sri Lanka.

2003
Goddesses Descending. Studio @ HW Architects, Colombo, Sri Lanka

2001
In the Entangled Web. Barefoot Gallery, Sri Lanka

1999
My Narratives. Gallery 706, Colombo, Sri Lanka

1998
The Vehicle Named Woman. Heritage Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka

Self Help. International art exhibition in Malmö, Växjö, Örebro and Stockholm in Sweden. Represented Asia with a collection of work consisting of paintings and installations.

1997
Aditi, an exhibition of paintings. Lionel Wendt Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka

1995
Aditi, an exhibition of paintings and sculpture. Lionel Wendt Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Aditi, an exhibition of sculpture. Hotel Ceylon Inter-Continental. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1993
An Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture. The Alliance Francaise De Colombo Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka

1992
An Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture. The Students’ Center.

Chancellor Green Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

1991
An Exhibition of Paintings. University Center Gallery. University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

An Exhibition of Paintings at “Nicoleti” (University Center). University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Group Exhibitions

2023
MAP, Bangalore, India.
Ishara Art Foundation, Dubai, UAE.
Art Dubai, Shrine Empire.
India Art Fair, Shrine Empire, New Delhi, India.
Witness(eth) , Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2022
Vision of India. From Colonial to the contemporary, Monash gallery of art, Australia.
Delhi Contemporary Art Week, Bikaner House, New Delhi, India.

2021
Fantasy of having a trailer wagon all to myself, Tatiana de Stempel & GALLERY 46, London, UK.
Delhi Contemporary Art Week, Bikaner House, New Delhi, India.
(ME)(MORY), Vadehra Gallery, New Delhi, India.
#NotYourAverag, Zaaman Art, Islamabad, Pakistan.
It Didn’t Last Long, 1864 – Galle Face, Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2020
Mutant, Aknoon Art Gallery, Teheran, Iran.

2019
Colombo Scope: Sea Change: As Tide Turns, Rio Complex, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Delhi Art Contemporary Week, Visual Art Gallery & Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India.
One Hundred Thousand Small Tale, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Greetings from India, 5th Edition of Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival, China.
The Day We Screamed, Red Dot Gallery, Sri Lanka.
Contemporary Sri Lankan Art : A Cross Section Iranian Cultural Center at Sri Lanka.

2018
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Lapses, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India.
The Edge, Bikaner House, New Delhi, India.
4th Edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale, Aspinwall Hall, Fort Kochi, Kochi, India.

2017
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Lapses, Harrington Street Arts Centre, Kolkata, India.
Tale of Two Cities, Red Dot Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Portraits of Intervention, Aicon Gallery, New York, USA.
Return in Search of Stillness, Sciennes Gallery, Summer Hall, Edinburgh, UK.
Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

2016
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Imagined Futures and Reconstructed Pasts, Bikaner House, New Delhi, India.
Tale of Two Cities, Indira Gandhi National Center for Arts, New Delhi, India.
Tale of Two Cities, Adil Shah Palace, Goa, India.

2015
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Excavation/ Eruption, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, India.
Performed, Lionel Wednt Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2014
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Colombo Art Biennale, J. D. A. Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Memorabilia, Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore, India.
Invented Identities, Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi, India.
Beware: Wet Ink, Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Serendipity Revealed, Brunei Gallery, London, UK.

2013
India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India
Art Basel 2013, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,Hong Kong.
Serendipity Revealed, China Art Project Space, Hong Kong.

2012
Becoming: Colombo Art Biennale, J. D. A. Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2011
Theertha Artists at Shanthi Road, 1 Shanthi Road, Bangalore, India.

2010
Between Kismet and Karma, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK.
Artful Resistance: Contemporary Art From Sri Lanka,Museum der Weltkulturen, Frankfurt, Germany. Creating Commonwealth, DLF Emporio Mall (by Gallery Ragini), Delhi, India.

2009
Theertha Art- Works on Paper, National Art Gallery, Male, Maldives.
Colombo Art biennale, Park Street, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Artful Resistance: Crisis and Creativity in Sri Lanka, Museum für Völkerkunde, Austria.
Separating Myth from Reality (Art Festival), Siddhartha Gallery, Katmandu, Nepal.

2008
Six Degrees of Separation, Ananth Gallery, Delhi, India.

2007
Arte Curioso, Red Dot Gallery, Pita Kotte, Sri Lanka.
Images of Globalization, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2006
(A)critical Intimacy, Harold Peiris Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

2005
Swedish Sri Lankan Artists’ Residency Exhibition, Harold Peiris Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Ten Artists Exhibition, Millesgarden, Lidingo, Sweden

2002
2nd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale, Fukouk, Japan.
Asian Art Festival, Fukuoka, Japan.
‘Crafty Thoughts’, University of Liverpool Gallery, Liverpool, UK.

2000
‘Reclaiming Histories: A Retrospective
Exhibition of Women’s Art’. Sapumal Foundation Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1999
Exhibition of selected works by women artists commemorating ‘Women’s Day’. The VAFA Gallery. Ethul Kotte, Sri Lanka.
Third International Artists’ Camp Exhibition, National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
No Order Group Exhibition’. VAFA Gallery, Ethul Kotte, Sri Lanka.

1998
INDEPENDENCE, an art exhibition to commemorate 50 years of independence in Sri Lanka. Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Self Help Art Exhibition. Lionel Wendt Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Modes and Moods. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1997
Nawa Kalakaruwo Exhibition. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Exhibition of Contemporary Sri Lankan Sculpture. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
First International Artists’ Camp Exhibition, National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1996
Young Contemporaries Exhibition. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1995
Nawa Kalakaruwo Exhibition. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1993
Young Contemporaries Exhibition. The National Art Gallery. Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1991
Art: the Prism of the Spirit. Gallery 1434. University of California, Santa Barbara. California, USA.

1989
Spectrum. An Exhibition of Paintings. Antioch University Gallery. Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Reflecting Culture Through Art. Reynolds Gallery and Kerrwood Gallery. Westmont College, Monteceto, California, USA.
Diversity, The Unfolding Mystery. University Center Gallery. University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
A Painting and Photography Exhibition. Antioch University Gallery, Santa Barbara, California, USA.

1988
A Painting Exhibition. Cabrillo Art Center. Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Faces and Figures. Pascual’s Upstairs Gallery. Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Workshops, Residencies and Symposiums

2018
Presenter in the Fast Forward 2: Women in Photography Workshop, AKJ Mass Communications Research Center at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India

2016
Panelist in the Discussion of Tale of Two cities project, Spotlight, India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.
Tale of Two Cities Residency, Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka& Varanasi, India.

2015
Panelist in the Discussion of ‘Fabric & Fabrication’, Speaker Forum, India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.

2008
Foundations & Networks International Workshop 2008, Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.

2003
Lijiang International Artists Workshop, Lijiang, China.

2002
Art Exchange Program. The 2nd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale, 2002.
‘Artists and Artist-space in Asia: Growth, Interactivity and Creation’. Opening Symposium for 2nd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale.
Visiting Artist, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, Australia.

1999
Participation in the KHOJ International Artists’ Workshop, Modinagar, India.

1997
Self Help Workshop. Angelholm/Helsingborg, Sweden.

Awards

1994 Young Artist of the Year, Young Contemporaries Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
1999 Bunka Award for Special Achievement in Painting and Sculpture. The Japan Sri Lanka Friendship Fund.
2021 WIM TOP 50 Award, 11th edition of the Professional and Career Women Award for Sri Lanka & Maldives.

Sri Lanka’s leading artist, Anoli Perera was born in Colombo and has a degree in political science, economics and sociology from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, followed by a postgraduate diploma in International Affairs. She then lived in the USA between 1988 and 1992 where she took part in art education programmes at Santa Barbara City College, California and the ‘Artworks’, a program for continuing art education at Princeton, New Jersey. She currently works as a painter, sculptor and installation artist based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Delhi, India. As a writer, she has contributed consistently to bring visibility to contemporary art in Sri Lanka. As a founding member of Theertha Artists Collective she has played an instrumental role as an institution builder, supporting her peers in revitalizing the arts in Colombo through strategic programming, workshops and international collaborations. Her own aesthetic interventions — political, personal and feminist — ushered in a new wave of art making in Sri Lanka from the 1990s onwards.

Anoli Perera has deployed her work to present contradictory as well as complex narratives that emerge when living in contemporary society, processed through an artist’s perception. Tapping her personal family histories and her own existence in a particular historical moment that allows her to see the extremities of two eras, Perera intimately looks back and forth into memory, nostalgia, dispositions of home/family, mass migrations, borders, women’s space, urbanity and dystopia. Her extensive series of works such as ‘Memory Keeper’, ‘Long Walk’, ‘Logbook of Absence’ and‘ Left Behinder’ brings to surface the fragility, selective recollections and manipulations of memory. Her early works such as ‘Dinner for Six’ and ‘Comfort Zones’ investigated the intriguing and coercive roles imposed upon women by the cultural discourse of family. She re-looks at the systems of value given to their creativity within homemaking critically and intimately. Her exhibition, ‘The City, Janus Faced,’ presented a series of works which explored the narratives on urbanity, city and its chimera. Perera’s current art practice includes painting, sculpture, installation art, video and photo- performances. Her work incorporates the concept of ‘bricolage’ where fragments from different written texts, raw materials, objects and painted surfaces are juxtaposed together giving a textured surface. At present, she uses cloth, thread, lace and paper as raw material for her sculptures and installations. Perera’s art practice emphatically celebrates the making of labour-intensive art works, an exercise in which she locates herself in the intermediate zone between craft and art. She weaves, by placing or by suturing a single unit piece by piece together, as if she were solving or making a puzzle carefully. At its completion, she leaves a sense often tativeness on the work in terms of the possible visual pleasures that the work can offer to its viewers.