Aruna Ekanayake

Aruna Ekanayake, born in 1977 in Colombo, Sri Lanka immigrated to the United States as a small child. In the United States he grows in an environment that continues to question and contradict his Asian half. He has said, "Constantly, my identity lies within an imaginary line that divides me equally, who drew this line, and why wasn't I invited to the ceremony?" Aruna uses film and video as a central element in his pieces. He attributes the use of these mediums to the demands of the information age and the need for art to follow so not to be lost from viewer's sight. The dual identity is formalized and represented in his work, which he offers as a narrative puzzle that misses only the element of the viewer to be complete.

Acquiring his formal education in fine art with a Bachelor's Degree in Sculpture from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He beings his studies with an interest in Metal Fabrication which evolves into a body of work that presents his admiration for the kinetic world with a love of the visual narrative. Currently Aruna is filming a short narrative film based on the killing of Oscar Grant, using techniques alluding to the work of German Expressionist Film. He is also a founding member of a C...

Academy of Art University, Bachelor of Fine Arts