Shaanea Mendis

Shaanea Mendis 

2024

Untitled

Water Colour and Pencil on Paper

30 X 23 cm

Artist Bio

Shaanea Mendis (b. 1982, Sri Lanka) is a visual artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her work contemplates on intricate biological patterns and textures from nature in her pen, ink and watercolour renderings and experiments with oxidised iron stains, gold leaf and verdigris. Her work is concerned with the growing distance between humankind and nature and the quick succession in which forested areas are flattened to make way for urban landscapes. Her digital artwork ‘The Helmet Man’ gained viral popularity and became a symbol of resistance during the 2022 Aragalaya protests in Sri Lanka. She graduated with a BFA (Hons) degree (2007) from The Lasalle College of The Arts, Singapore. Her work has been exhibited in various group and solo shows in Singapore, India and Sri Lanka such as SEED - The Art Space, Singapore (2022) and Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, India (2018). Shaanea has participated in numerous workshops supported by Colomboscope, Pro Helvetia, EUNIC, The British Council, The North South Network, The Alliance Francaise, Theertha Artist’s Collective and invited by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust to conduct the gold leafing workshop, the first of series held at De Saram House.