User:Mirtili kaffe/sandbox

Nisansala Karunaratne is a young visual artist who comes from Sri Lanka. She works as an artist, photographer and graphic designer mainly in Colombo. Her interest origins from the combination of traditional and contemporary art and her work is dedicated to create awareness in a way that reminds an expressionist. Abstract shapes and colors in a background that flirts with illusionistic realism; that is her interpretation about art. Having studied lightning techniques, mounting techniques and hanging display art she was able to provide this ambience in her gallery – boutique space called Casa Serena, No 22, Havelock Road, Colombo 5.

Early Life - Studies
Nisansala began her career as an artist when she was only three years old with a sketch of a motor vehicle accident on a piece of black paper; a surprisingly conflict-ridden subject matter for a child. Today however, her focus is the opposite; the conflict has been replaced by serenity. Instead of negative action, there is the gentle research for light and movement. During her scholar years, dance and art classes are appealed to her and both her parents and teachers supported that inclination. She studied Art for her A levels at Musaeus College, Colombo Sri Lanka and afterwards she decided to move in the United States where she stayed for almost eight years. There she received her BFA from San Jose State University, California in Photography and Graphic Design in 2004. Later on she acquired her MA in Buddhist Studies from Kelaniya University, Sri Lanka.

Career
Even though she is considered to be a young artist she has already had her personal artistic activity. During the years of her studies she hosted numerous exhibitions of her own in San Hose and two at the Lionel Wendt and the Namel Malini Theatre in Sri Lanka. Her father wanted Nisansala to join their family business, Karunaratne and Sons Printers and she decided to help her to combine their designs and new product creations with her own expectations. Thus, in 2000 Karunaratne and Sons Printers won “the best diary of the year” award from the Sri Lanka Association of Printers for their diary inspired by Nisansala’s concept based on the essence of the country through the depiction of nature, culture and tradition. After some years of work as a freelancer and guest lecturer at Colombo and Moratuwa Universities and other private institutions, she reached at the point to establish her own gallery called Casa Serena; an achievement that initially looked fictional in her mind. In 2018, she organized a solo exhibition of her work and she donated all the money from the sale of her paintings to the AAUBO project; a project initiated from her husband Dr. Rajapaksa and aims to the enhancement of children’s chemotherapy. In the future Nisansala wants to focus on only paper related items.