The Chameleon Painting

“The medium and technology used in creating art represents the thoughts of the artist and enacts it like a dramatist”, says Anura Srinath. He is a painter, cartoonist, illustrator and comic artist. His tireless efforts have been published in newspapers and been adapted into teledramas and films too. The artist has developed a close kinship with the subjects of his artwork and the surrounding environment. Anura says that “artists are full of love within them, and that is what makes it easier for them to capture and communicate intricate feelings and empathize with nature.” Anura works with acrylics, pencils, watercolor and even digital software such as Photoshop. The fluidity of his line drawings and his vibrant color palette captures the essence of his world. His work transforms the standard notions of cartoonists into a uniquely expressive form, that rejuvenates the eye of the viewer with fresh color. He firmly believes that an artist has to discipline himself to continually create content in order to succeed. Anura’s success mantra is practiced when he begins his day at 3 in the morning to train himself to draw one story for each day of the week. This mantra is also strengthened by his love to teach and assist other artists who are interested in learning the art. Anura’s love for art began when he was a young boy. However, he was prohibited from taking up a profession as an artist by his father, as it was a profession of the meager pay in Sri Lanka in his early years. Thus, out of obedience to his father, he discontinued this profession. Unable to resist his passion for art he reincarnated as a self- learnt artist. Anura Srinath is an explorative artist and gathers inspiration from the contaminated world and its malice. He tries to unveil through his artwork the plight of society which is conflicted due to political, economic and social factors. Age does not create a barrier between his art and its audience, as everyone can equally enjoy his work. The rawness and exposure of the bitter truth of situations and his personal perspectives are expressed clearly through his illustrations. The illustrations for the Hatton National Bank (HNB) calendar for the past 12 years is a great example of his smart and creative artwork. Anura’s cartoonist approach intertwines realities of the world and satirical juxtapositions with a range of colors that differ from other artists.