Biography

Chandraguptha Thenuwara

Sri Lanka

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Painting

Gallery image

Born in 1960, Sri Lanka
Lives and works in Sri Lanka

Chandraguptha Thenuwara is an artist cum activist whose  body of work is dedicated to his plight to expose political corruption in Sri Lanka. In 1997 the artist began presenting his self-curated memorial exhibitions, presented on 23 July every year to commemorate 'Black July'. The exhibitions began with a series of work titled Barrelism, his response to the change in the cityscape of Colombo during the war. A multidisciplinary artist, Thenuwara's works connect painting, drawing, sculpture and installation made up of the juxtaposition of objects and witty paronomasias. His works  metmorphose to represent  current affairs using symbolism and themes approaching the subjects of conflict and adversity. 

Education

2005-2006. M. Phil, Postgraduate Institute of Archeology, University of Kelaniya, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1985-1992. Master of Fine Artwith Honors, Moscow State ArtInstitute named after Surikov, Moscow, Russia
1979-1981. Bachelor of Arts, Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Solo Exhibitions

2021. Blinds. Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2020. Atmosphere At/Most/Fear. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2019. M.O.B. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2018. Executive Demon. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2017. Glitch. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2016. Glitch. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2015. Electric Chair for Sale. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2015. Chandraguptha Thenuwara. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2014. Drawing Series. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2014. Monotony. LionelWendt Gallery, ColomboSriLanka
2013. Beautification. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2012. The Monument and Other Works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2012. Thorn & other Images. Hivos, 16 Raamweg, Den Haag, Netherlands
2011. The Wall and other works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2010. Visual Responses during the War: SelectedWorks of Artists. LionelWendt Gallery & Harold Pieris Gallery,Colombo, SriLanka
2010. Vigil and Other works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2010. Black Paintings & Other Works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2009. Post-Barrelism: Erasing Camouflage. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2008. Dhammapada & Other Works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2007. Neo-Barrelism. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2006. Wall of Death & Other Works. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2006. Barrelism:Camouflage. MaroondahGallery, Victoria, Australia
2004. Camouflage and other works. VAFA Gallery, EthulKotte, SriLanka
2001. RecentPaintings. Paradise Road Galleries”, Colombo, SriLanka
1999. Camouflage. VAFA Gallery, Ethul-Kotte, SriLanka
1998. Barrelism & Recentworks. The Heritage Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1997. Barrelism & Other works. The Heritage Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1995. In Spacetime. The National ArtGallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1995. In Spacetime. The British Council, Kandy, SriLanka
1995. Drawings. The Union Gallery, Izhevsk City, Republic of Udmurtia, Russia.
1992. The City Gallery, Izhevsk City, Republic of Udmurtia, Russia
1992. Moscow Paintings. The National ArtGallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1991. Retrospective of Paintings | LionelWendt ArtGallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1983. Paintings & Drawings. SovietCultural House, Colombo, SriLanka
1978. First Exhibition. Samudra Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka

Group Exhibition (selected)

2021. The Gift. Geoffrey Bawa Garden, Lunuganga, Sri Lanka
2020. One hundred thousandsmalltales. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, ColomboSriLanka
2020. 12th India Art Fair. New Delhi, India
2019. A Cross Section– SriLankanContemporary Art. JalehGallery, Tehran, Iran
2019. Crossing Place. Baik ArtGallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2018. Seven Plus One: 25th Anniversary Show of VAFA. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2018. Riot: Slow Cancellation of the Future. ifa Gallery Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany
2016. Sculpture Faculty Show. organized by the Department of Sculpture, Faculty of Visual Arts, JDA Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2016. CNAPTCentre, Marcus Fernando Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2016. Disambiguation. ArtDubai 2016, SaskiaFernando Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2015. UVPA 10th Anniversary Show. JDA Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2015. Shadow Scenes. Colomboscope - Curated by NatashaGinwala& MenikaVan Der Poorten, The RioComplex, Colombo, SriLanka
2012. Drawings by Chandraguptha Thenuwara & JagathWeerasinghe. SaskiaFernando Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2012. Drawings by Chandraguptha Thenuwara & JagathWeerasinghe. Breeze Little Gallery, London, UK
2012. Becoming. Colombo Art Biennale, JDA Perera Gallery and Other venues, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2011. Contemporary Art From Sri Lanka
2011. Asia House, London, UK
2010. Visual Responses During the War: Selected Artists Works. LionelWendt Gallery & Harold Peiris Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2009. Imagining Peace. ColomboArtBiennale, Park Street Mews,Colombo, Sri Lanka
2009. One Year Drawing Project. Devi Foundation, New Delhi
2009. One Year Drawing Project. SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre), UTAC (University of Toronto ArtCentre), University of Toronto, Canada
2008. Big in Falkirk. ScotlandNational Street Arts Festival, Falkirk
2007. Shanghai Zendai Museum of ModernArt, Shanghai, China
2007. The National Museum of Poznan, Poland 2006 Common Goods | Melbourne Museum,Melbourne, Australia
2003. Un-commemorative Commemoration. VAFA Gallery, Kotte, SriLanka
2003. Artists for Peace. Charles Hall, Batticaloa, Eastern Province, SriLanka
2002. John Moores University, The University of ArtCollection Gallery, Liverpool, UK
2002. ArtPeace. LionelWendt Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
2002. Moving Collection, Japan
2001. Theertha International Artists Workshop. Barefoot Gallery, Sri Lanka
2000. ArtExhibition for Peace & Reconciliation. Neelan Thiruchelvam Commemorative Program, 706 Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1999. 1st Asian ArtTriennale (The 5th Asian ArtShow). Fukuoka Asian ArtMuseum, Fukuoka, Japan
1999-2000. Cities on the Move. KIASMA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
1999. Third International Artists’ Camp Exhibition. National Gallery, SriLanka
1999-98. Cities on the Move. HaywardGallery, London, UK/PS1 Gallery, New York
1998-99. Cities on the Move. Louisiana Museum,Denmark/CapsMusee, Musee d’art Contemporain de Bordeaux, France / Vienna Secession, Austria 1998 Khoj Artists Workshop Exhibition, Modinagar, New Delhi, India
1998. In Dependence. LionelWendt ArtGallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1997. The 1st Annual Exhibition of VAFA. The National ArtGallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1996. Women in Art. The Mount castle Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1995. 7th Asia Pacific Biennale. Dhaka, Bangladesh
1993. The National Gallery, Colombo, SriLanka
1994. The Academy of Arts, Moscow, Russia
1992. International Symposiumon Open-air Sculpture, Izhevsk City, Russia

Collections

Los AngelesCounty Museum of Art
Queensland Art Gallery Australia
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum Japan Lunuganga Trust Collection
John Moore’s University ArtCollection Liverpool
Fine Arts Museum of Udmurtia Izhevsk Russia