“Comparing and contrasting forms the joys and despondencies expressed in Rupaneethan’s art. Constantly, one is pushed and pulled between the serene beauty and the inexpressible violence that is obvious in each piece.

The torture and devastation of the land and the times he himself has experienced is juxtaposed with the celebration and stunning nature of Sri Lanka.” Artra Magazine

Rupaneethan Pakkiyarajah’s artistic journey is deeply influenced by his personal experiences, cultural heritage, and the socio-political landscape of Sri Lanka. Growing up in Batticaloa, a region affected by the civil conflict, he was exposed to themes of displacement, memory, and resilience from an early age. His family played a significant role in shaping his artistic path—his grandfather was a traditional dramatist, and his elder brother, Dayashingam Pakkiyarajah, introduced him to drawing and painting. The early exposure to both visual and performing arts laid the foundation for his multidisciplinary approach. His education at the University of Jaffna, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design, further refined his conceptual thinking and technical skills. His participation in international programs, such as the URONTO Residential Art Exchange in Bangladesh, also broadened his perspective, allowing him to explore themes of identity and transformation beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

Pakkiyarajah’s work is characterized by an experimental approach to materials and form. He often integrates found objects, rubber, and organic materials into his sculptures and installations, using them to reflect on the scars of war, the fragility of memory, and the tensions between natural and man-made environments. His practice challenges conventional artistic boundaries, blurring distinctions between painting, sculpture, and installation. This layered and textural quality of his work mirrors the complex histories embedded in Sri Lankan landscapes, where physical and emotional scars coexist. His compositions frequently evoke a sense of absence, fragmentation, or erosion, symbolic of the loss experienced by individuals and communities affected by conflict. By using unconventional materials and mixed media, he emphasizes the transient nature of history and memory, prompting viewers to engage with the hidden narratives beneath visible surfaces.

One of the most striking aspects of Pakkiyarajah’s work is his exploration of landscapes as living testimonies to trauma and resilience. His art often portrays geographical spaces not just as physical locations but as repositories of personal and collective memory. He draws attention to the way land bears witness to cycles of displacement, violence, and reconstruction. This theme is particularly evident in exhibitions such as A Search for Connectivity, where he examined the intersections between nature, identity, and belonging. His work in My Inner Land also delved into the emotional and psychological connections people have with their environment, reflecting on how landscapes shape human identity and vice versa. Through these explorations, he questions notions of home, exile, and the evolving relationship between humans and their surroundings, creating a dialogue that extends beyond Sri Lanka’s borders into universal themes of migration and belonging.

Pakkiyarajah’s artistic influences are diverse, drawing from both Sri Lankan traditions and global contemporary art movements. While his material-based approach aligns with contemporary experimental sculptors, his thematic concerns are deeply rooted in South Asian histories of conflict, caste, and cultural displacement. He is also inspired by indigenous storytelling, ritualistic performances, and how oral traditions preserve history in the absence of written records. His engagement with these elements underscores his belief in art as a tool for healing and reinterpreting the past. As an educator at the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, he continues to share his insights with the next generation of artists, encouraging them to use art as a means of questioning, documenting, and reimagining their own histories. His work not only contributes to Sri Lanka’s contemporary art scene but also invites broader conversations about resilience, transformation, and the enduring power of artistic expression.