Rukshana, born in 1989 into a middle-class Muslim family in Sri Lanka’s North-Western Province, was raised in the historically rich village of Kurunegala. This village, rooted in traditions from the mid-13th century, greatly shaped her artistic journey. Surrounded by the crafts of pot making and mat weaving, she drew early inspiration from her family—particularly her grandmother and father, who practiced chair weaving—and local artisans skilled in basket and mat weaving. These experiences deeply influenced her path as an artist.

Her work is grounded in the traditional, intergenerational craft of weaving, repurposed into contemporary art using discarded and forgotten materials like tree bark, paper, cloth, and canvas. These woven container structures symbolize the resilience of marginalized women who have lost their identity and autonomy. Through this process, she reclaims and reframes lost freedoms, challenging societal norms, particularly around women’s roles within familial and cultural structures. Her art explores ecological feminism, drawing from women’s histories and land art, and actively resists the division between nature and culture.

Rukshana’s education began in a Muslim government school where Tamil was spoken, though Sinhala-language schools were often reserved for boys due to better career prospects. Encouraged by her family, she pursued higher education in the Eastern Province amid the final days of Sri Lanka’s civil war. There, she encountered growing conservatism within the Muslim community. During her university years, her family arranged her marriage—an unhappy union where her husband rejected her professional ambitions. Legal conflict ensued under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act after she chose to pursue her career despite his opposition.

These personal struggles sparked deeper reflection on societal double standards—why child marriages or polygamy were acceptable, yet her pursuit of education and a career in the arts was questioned. A pivotal moment came when she encountered an exhibition by SP Pushpakanthan, which demonstrated how art could become a vehicle for dialogue and social change. Embracing the belief that “art is a form of life,” she persisted in her creative journey.

Though painting remains her primary medium, her practice now includes sculpture and installation, focusing on how patriarchal structures dismantle women’s lives. Her recent work draws inspiration from her autobiographical experiences of resilience and empowerment, expressing themes of women’s strength and liberation from violence.

Rukshana uses discarded objects as central materials in her art. Her weaving—incorporating cut paintings, palm leaves, magazine clippings, and other natural elements—symbolizes the reconstruction of lost identities. She also uses culturally symbolic materials, such as discarded clothing and elements of the traditional Muslim female dress, to explore her community’s identity.

For her, art is both a personal and communal healing process. She views exhibitions as platforms for raising awareness about the struggles women face, particularly those silenced by societal and legal systems. Her work not only narrates her own story but also serves as a form of activism, aiming to empower and connect with a wider community through shared experiences of transformation and resistance.

Rukshana’s powerful, autobiographical work has garnered recognition in prestigious platforms. In 2019, her work was featured by Datin Shalini Ganendra, a renowned advisor and Visiting Fellow at Oxford University. In 2017, she also gained acknowledgment from Elizabeth Dean Hermann, Professor of Design and expert in Architecture and Urbanism at the Rhode Island School of Design. That same year, her work was acknowledged by prominent Sri Lankan human rights activist Shreen Saroor. The Taprobane Collection Sri Lanka also features some of her works.