Hashan Cooray

ARTIST BIO

Hashan Cooray is a visual artist from Colombo, Sri Lanka. He combines drawing, painting, digital art, installation and mixed media collage to engage his subjects beyond the stereotypical translation of portraiture. The artist repurposes the artefacts of nationalism, capitalism and consumerism such as propaganda posters and commercial advertisements. He presents multi-layered and textured portraits that interrogate the psyche of individuals influenced by the over-consumption of media. Characterised by an intense gestural quality that portrays his subjects in an intrusive manner, his work ultimately provides a stark image of the impact of an oppressive regime and consumerist culture on society and its denizens. Hashan Cooray (b. 1987, Sri Lanka) is a self taught artist. His work has been featured in both group and solo exhibitions at Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo, Sri Lanka and has been published in the Imago Mundi Book Project by the Benetton Foundation.

CONCEPT

LOOK NOTHING
Hashan Cooray borrows the red, yellow and brown colours from lacquer boxes which are often sold as souvenirs to incoming tourists, to create a layered texture on the surface of the ginger jar. Against this, he juxtaposes bold typography often found in advertisements to create a visual contrast. The end result is a visual product that borrows inspiration from traditional Sri Lankan craft and commercial art.