The Woman Behind the Brush: Anoma Wijewardene
31st July 2022
Interviewed and Written by Minadi Gunawardena
Illustration by Devni Jayakody
Anoma is one of Sri Lanka's most celebrated contemporary artists. Her work has been exhibited in countless prestigious international spaces such as Sotheby's in Hong Kong and at the 58th Venice Biennale. She was the first ever Sri Lankan solo artist to show at Venice Biennale. Shown in London, New Delhi, Dubai, and Singapore to name a few, Anoma’s work has consistently been celebrated across the globe for the last twenty five years.
One of her major works includes her monograph titled ‘ANOMA’ with over two hundred illustrations encompassing her profound love for a sustainable environment and harmony, diversity and unity; the core themes of her art. Launched in 2019, the book in her own words, was ‘a marathon of eight years’ to complete, focusing on her art, exhibitions, and her particular creative process. “It was a huge, humongous amount of work. And I’m really thankful that it is done.” She explains that the book comprises of a variety of perspectives of her approaches to art, which in doing so tells the story of her life through her work.
Raised in Sri Lanka, Anoma was schooled at Ladies’ College. She paints herself as an outgoing, confident, and lively child who later transitioned into a complex adolescent, often a mystery to her peers. She draws attention to the difficulties faced by young women in Sri Lanka in discovering themselves as individuals. “Even if you are conventional, even if you aren’t. I didn’t think I was being unconventional, I was just being my natural self. But I guess I was different and I couldn’t change myself to fit in so the whole social context was a challenge.”
Then, choosing to pursue her higher education in England, she graduated with a first class from Central Saint Martin’s College, the University of the Arts, London. A foundational step in her journey as a creative, her early years in the UK were not exempt from challenges. “I sometimes couldn’t understand the accent and the English idioms. It was a huge challenge. But also, weirdly, there was a sense of belonging, of freedom, of people being understanding of each other, of diverse views being embraced.” A sharp contrast to her experiences in her prior schooling, Anoma notes that the mix of students she found herself with, and the environment she now called home, was immeasurably liberating. “We weren’t held back by the rules, or conforming or limiting ourselves. It was about breaking free of the norm, it was about disruption, it was about being creative. That seemingly bonkers but very productive environment was a privilege to work in.”
Following the completion of her BA and MA, Anoma sheds light on the challenging and strenuous years that followed in her career. “It was quite a struggle. It was very hard. I’ve been a petrol pump attendant, I’ve been a shop assistant, I never worked in a bar, but I’ve been a postman, a secretary, a very bad secretary!” Later going on to design for various companies and collaborate with others to sell work, she began to cultivate her name as a vivacious, fierce presence in the global design scene. Selling her work across the world, from NY, Paris , Milan, Frankfort to Tokyo Anoma underwent a transitionary period post-marriage, moving from London to the countryside where she continued her demanding work. “I think moving out of London was difficult, and I think yeah, being a housewife kind of blocked or rather distracted, my full concentration on my art and design practice, but I also enjoyed lecturing and country life." While designing, she was also a visiting lecturer at several art colleges in the west country.
Moving back to Sri Lanka after her divorce, she candidly portrays the difficulties she faced in terms of harnessing her creative energy following the shift. 'When I came back to Sri Lanka, I couldn't really design on the level that I had been designing for the global market place. The paintings became more vital and important and took my life over completely. An interesting thing is that I have often found myself in stark situations, or life changing scenarios, where I have had to do something different, to pivot, to survive." Inspiringly, she notes that her adaptability and growth in the face of the tide, has emerged through her work as renewal.
Her paintings require no introduction, exploring ‘ our common humanity' when faced with the trials and tribulations of life. Her work attempts to encourage tolerance, sustainability, and progress towards a more peaceful and harmonious world. She grapples with genuine complexities stemming from diverse, social and economic contexts, particularly the destruction of climate change. Constantly renewing herself through painting, she resists stagnation by channeling her fundamental passions. "When you've been doing it for 50 years, you know you're looking for the truth."
A core subject of her work, Anoma finds comfort and harmony in nature. She sheds light on this deep-seated connection to nature and her decision to express this attachment in her art, by describing her years as a child. Her father was Ray Wijewardene, who was celebrated for his research and innovation in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy technology.
She notes the instrumental impact of growing up alongside these ideas in building her own love for ecological practices and messages. Her first exhibition that centered around this theme was in 2005, where the expression of climate change itself was not widely considered as crucial. She adds that it still is not. "We're still destroying the planet." Anoma describes the transition of her work with each exhibition focusing on her advocacy through art as becoming more urgent and activist. Titled 'Deliverance' in 2012, she notes that the exhibition was the first of hers to interact and engage with her audience. "I really wanted to create a dialogue with the people who viewed my work and with wanting to provide avenues for rethinking by using information in a more tangential, poetic kind of way." Anoma's recent exhibitions have only transformed, in her own words, into being political and strong in her subject matter. Paying tributes to activists such as Greta Thunberg, in her London show in 2019, her work is symbolic and speaks volumes on the many components of environmentalism, diversity, unity and renewal. She has exhibited her art continually in London since 2007 and has also shown in Sydney, New Delhi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai over the last two decades,
She also finds joy in all forms of creative output such as literature, theatre, opera and music. She describes herself as reclusive, "A lot of creative people are kind of introverted. As Goethe said, genius is created in silence. So we need a lot of silence and alone time to be creative." Her own individual creative process employs similar tactics, choosing to work alone so that she works to the peak of her ability, away from distractions. Yet for several of her installations she has collaborated with many including poets, scientists, political activists , musicians, actors and dancers, and the visual output has included sculpture, video and digital and performance art alongside paintings.
In addition to painting, Anoma has also contributed to the field of arts as a lecturer. With experience of fifteen years at colleges across England, she reminisces on the opportunity to have taught diverse pools of students. "It was a mixed bag. And it was interesting. With long years of looking at students' work, I can spot a star or standout work fast. (And maybe because of that) I can tell what somebody is like much more easily! I'm very blessed in that I can see beyond a person, into(his/her) potential. But in the end, what creates success is not just amazing talent, but even more vitally the drive, the persistence, the commitment, the passion.”Although it was a profession she thoroughly enjoyed, she stepped back to concentrate on her art, choosing now to occasionally parcel out her limited time only through mentoring. The art making is all consuming.
As an artist and an individual, she does confess to anger. Whether it is the continually erupting crises affecting her home and community, or the deeply alarming decimation of the planet, Anoma expresses her frustration with the lack of accountability. She highlights the need for Sri Lankans to take responsibility for their role in creating fundamental economic and social issues. She feels that perhaps we have all colluded in the the absolute disaster the world has now become. She believes that there must be a solemn evaluation of our educational and social systems to integrate analytical skills. "We, as a people, do not respond well to criticism. We can't grow, we can’t learn, we can’t change unless we accept criticism." She suggests that the ongoing damage caused by billionaires and corporations is entirely due to the desire for unseemly consumption and instant gratification, money, and property. Gandhi said “the earth has enough for man’s needs, but not his greed” she points out.
Her sincere belief is that change stems from being able to understand each other's perspectives, removing rigidity from how an individual perceives the world. "intransigence and inflexibility, and absolute insecurity may be aspects to examine. Our lack of empathy. The inability to put ourselves in the others shoes. Only seeing things from our own limited viewpoint. A young friend commented that we talk at each other, we don't listen to each other."
In a tumultuous world, in almost dystopian times, Anoma seeks stability and resilience in painting. Continuously renewing herself and processing her transformation through the years, she has undoubtedly cemented herself as an influential and poignant figure in the modern contemporary art landscape of Sri Lanka, and she is by no means done with doing so, as she continues to paint with vigour and passion.
References and further reading
Anoma WIjewardena, issuu, https://issuu.com/saskiafernandogallery41/docs/with_my_back_to_the_world/s/20123170
Anoma, http://anomawijewardene.com/
Anoma WIjewardena, British Council Sri Lanka, https://www.britishcouncil.lk/about/70-years-sri-lanka/stories/anoma-wijewardene
Notes
This article is pending support to be translated into Sinhala and Tamil. Please email storiesofslwomen@everystorysl.org if you would like to support us with translations or if you have any questions.
(Minadi Gunawardena is a 19-year-old feminist, student, and writer. She is currently studying for her Bachelors of Law (LLB) Hons from the University of Staffordshire, after which she hopes to pursue a career in movement building & politics. She is also the Social Media & Communications Manager for Everystory Sri Lanka, where she is responsible for the creation/management of content across all social media platforms. Minadi is an avid enthusiast of journalism, poetry, and volunteering, passions she is interested in cultivating in the years to come)
