Janani Cooray

Janani Cooray

2024

Barb Wire and Me

Mixed Media on Canvas

30 x 23 cm

Artist Bio

Janani Cooray, a multi-skilled artist from Colombo is one of the first performance artist in Sri Lanka and a graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts. She follows an MA in Art History at PGARI, University of Kelaniya. Her artistic approaches as a performance artist can be categorized into four forms. The authoritative cultural constructions present in traditional societies that oppress the woman are critically represented in the first type. What can be identified as her second performance approach is concerned with the struggle of the individual who has suffered in the thirty-year war situation, trying to realize life again and again despite the inescapable experiences, and its tragedy. Her third category is focused on how a woman is used as a commercial tool for beauty culture in which she attempts to bring out the injustices and harassment the women face in the present society. Her forth category is baized on material phenomenon beyond gender or nationality. It is possible to suggest that she had presented, through these works, a sharp and deep as well as highly sensitive and emotional life philosophy. As a whole most of her artist works are focused on the issue of feminism, in which she attempts to generalize her own experience socially.anani Cooray, a multi-skilled artist from Colombo is one of the first performance artist in Sri Lanka and a graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts. She follows an MA in Art History at PGARI, University of Kelaniya. Her artistic approaches as a performance artist can be categorized into four forms. The authoritative cultural constructions present in traditional societies that oppress the woman are critically represented in the first type. What can be identified as her second performance approach is concerned with the struggle of the individual who has suffered in the thirty-year war situation, trying to realize life again and again despite the inescapable experiences, and its tragedy. Her third category is focused on how a woman is used as a commercial tool for beauty culture in which she attempts to bring out the injustices and harassment the women face in the present society. Her forth category is baized on material phenomenon beyond gender or nationality. It is possible to suggest that she had presented, through these works, a sharp and deep as well as highly sensitive and emotional life philosophy. As a whole most of her artist works are focused on the issue of feminism, in which she attempts to generalize her own experience socially.