Hema Shironi (B. 1991)
“Coupled with her keen eye for the history of colonization, civil war, displacement and migration, which she highlights through personal stories and experiences, Shironi’s art is at once a climax of emotions taking us on a journey of her migratory routes where she explores political themes around the subjects of domesticity, language, culture, memory, religious myths, gender politics, tenacity and fragility.” Hyperglot Review
Hema Shironi is a Sri Lankan artist whose work is deeply rooted in themes of displacement, memory, cultural hybridity, and the legacies of war. Through textiles, embroidery, and mixed-media installations, she examines the intersections of personal and collective history, often drawing from the experiences of those affected by migration and conflict. Shironi’s art is influenced by Sri Lanka’s complex postcolonial landscape, particularly the ethnic tensions and civil unrest that have shaped its history. By using fabric, old photographs, and found objects, she transforms everyday materials into powerful narratives about identity and survival, making her work both intimate and universally resonant.
A key element in Shironi’s practice is her exploration of how displacement alters cultural and familial connections. She frequently addresses the experience of people who have been forced to leave their homes due to war, economic hardship, or colonial legacies, incorporating oral histories and traditional crafts into her work. In projects like “Buried Alive Stories,” she visualizes how objects carry hidden memories, referencing stories from her grandmother about burying personal belongings during the Sri Lankan civil war. This recurring theme of concealment and rediscovery highlights the fragile nature of cultural heritage and personal identity, emphasizing how memory is preserved or erased through time.
Her work also critiques gender roles and how domestic crafts are often undervalued as forms of artistic expression. By using embroidery and fabric manipulation, techniques historically associated with women’s labor, Shironi reclaims these practices as powerful artistic tools. She challenges how histories are written and whose voices are given authority. Through layering, stitching, and assembling fragmented materials, she mirrors the fractured narratives of those who have been displaced, allowing her work to function as a form of storytelling that bridges generations and geographies.
Shironi’s influence extends beyond Sri Lanka, as her work engages with broader discussions on migration and identity in South Asia and beyond. Exhibiting internationally, she has contributed to dialogues on postcolonial identity, collective trauma, and the resilience of marginalized communities. Whether through her solo exhibitions or participation in major art biennials, Shironi continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, using materials rich with cultural significance to challenge historical narratives and invite reflection on the unseen forces shaping personal and national identities.
Solo Exhibitions
Year | Exhibition | Venue |
2024 | Families ‘Not’ on the List | Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2021 | Rented Shadow and Neighbours | Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Group Exhibitions
Year | Exhibition | Venue |
2025 | Voices from an Archived Silence – Transoceanic Exchanges | Studio Kayami, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2025 | Voices from an Archived Silence – Transoceanic Exchanges | IVS Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan |
2025 | KALĀ Commune, KALĀ | J.D.A. Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2025 | India Art Fair | NSIC Exhibition Grounds, New Delhi, India |
2024 | South Asian Art Exhibition of SAF Alumni Artists | Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal |
2024 | Delhi Contemporary Art Week | Bikaner House, New Delhi, India |
2024 | Art Mumbai | Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai, India |
2024 | 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art | QAGOMA, Brisbane, Australia |
2024 | Small World, Taipei Biennial 13 | Taipei Fine Arts Museum Taipei, Taiwan |
2024 | PAST of the Present, Matara Art Festival | Matara Fort, Matara, Sri Lanka |
2023 | Small World | Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan |
2023 | The Foreigners | MMCA, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2023 | With My Back to the World | Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2023 | India Art Fair | NSIC Exhibition Grounds, New Delhi, India |
2022 | Critical Zones: In Search of Common Grounds | Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai, India |
2022 | Critical Zones: In Search of Common Grounds | J.D.A. Perera Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2022 | Language is Migrant, Colomboscope | Barefoot Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2021 | House of Kal | COCA-Collective of Contemporary Artists, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2019 | Sea Change, Colomboscope | Rio Complex, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2018 | True Being | Fine Art Department, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
2018 | Being and Becoming | Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2017 | Theertha Performance Workshop | Theertha Artist Collective, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
2013 | Open Edit: Mobile Library – from AAA to Raking Leaves | Parks View, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Publications and Publication Covers Designed
Year | Publication |
2024 | International Conflict Feminism. By Vasuki Nesiah, University of Pennsylvania Press. (Cover Design) |
2024 | What to Do When Your National Flag Doesn’t Represent You? Hyperallergic, New York, United States. 29th August, 2024. |
2024 | Hema Shironi’s Embroidery Depicts Impact of Conflict. Groundviews, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 9th March 2024. |
2024 | Hema Shironi’s Exhibition “Families ‘Not’ in the List” at Saskia Fernando Gallery. DailyFT, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 24 August 2024. |
2024 | Stitching Together Memories of War and Her Grandmother’s Stories. The Sunday Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 25th August, 2024. |
2023 | Untethered. By Ayesha Inoon, Harper Collins Publishers Australia. (Cover Design) |
2022 | We are Present: Women’s Histories of Conflict, Courage and Survival. A collection of women’s lived experiences of conflict in Sri Lanka. Edited by Radhika Hettiarachchi. (Cover Design) |
2021 | Young Artist from the North Explores Questions of Identity and Belonging. The Sunday Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 10th October 2021. |
2021 | Hema Shironi Explores Identity as a Transitionary Idea at Colomboscope 2021. StirWorld, New Delhi, India. 08th July, 2021. |
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Education
Year | Qualification | Institute |
2020 | MFA (visual art) | Beacon House National University, Lahore, Pakistan |
2016 | BFA (visual art) | Ramanathan Fine Arts Academy – University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
