Sujeewa Kumari Weerasinghe
Born - 1971, Sri Lanka

Contact;
Sujeewa Kumari
53/56 Eksath Mawatha
Kalagedihena
SriLanka

Education
2002-2004 MFA, Dutch Art Institute, Netherlands
2000-2002 BFA, Aki Academy of Fine Art, Netherlands
1994- 1998 BFA, Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka

Exhibitions Solo and Performances (selected)
2004- Performance presentation, Living Sculpture, Gampaha train station, Sri Lanka
2003- Performance presentation, Skin of the White Tea Bags, Scheveningen,
The Netherlands
2002-Barefoot Gallery, 704, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2000-Paradise Road Galleries, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Group Exhibitions
2007-Where, What, Who, When, and How, Barefoot Gallery, 704, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2006-Feb, an exhibition of visual art, Barefoot Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005-Sri Lankan and Australian artists Exhibition, The cross Art Projects,
Sydney, Australia

2004-’Luggage’ and ‘Under-Construction’, two exhibitions as part of a collaborative
project by both the Dutch art Institute, Netherlands and Nanjing Art Institute, Nanjing, China

CUT and MIX, Finomenal Space, Colombo, Sri Lanka
7th International artist Camp, The village Hotel Habarana, and exhibition, Harold
Pieris Gallery, Colomb, Sri Lanka.

2003- �Visva Karma�, Kulturforum Rheine, Germany and Netherlands
�After the 7th�, Presentation, Dutch Art Institute, Netherlands

2002- �Another Dialogue�, two-person exhibition, Upstairs Gallery at Thambapani Colombo, Sri Lanka
Aki Academy of Fine Arts, Netherlands
2001- Two person exhibition, Hivos, DenHaag, Organized by Gate foundation, Netherlands

“Update 001″, Group exhibition, Das Atelierhaus, Gronau, Germany
Two person exhibition, �Art Affairs� Galerie fur Internationale kunst, Germany.

Hope and introspection De Witte Kamer, Deldon, Netherlands

2000- Two Person exhibition, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen The Ntherlands.
Four person exhibition The Havelock Place Bungalow, Colombo
Group exhibition Reclaiming Histories; A Retrospective Exhibition of Women’s Art�, Sapumal foundation, Colombo, Sri Lanka

1999- “Nawa Kalakaruwo” National Art Gallery Colombo Young Contemporary, National Art Gallery Colombo

1998- 2nd International Artists artist Camp, The village Hotel Habarana and exhibition, National Art Gallery, Colombo Sri Lanka.

Moods & Modes, 50 years of Sri Lanka Paintings, National Art Gallery.
Self Help Six Artists work shop/ Exhibition, Lionel Wend Art Gallery Colombo
�New Directions� 50 Years of Sri Lanka�s Independence, Mount Castle Gallery, Colombo.

1997- �Space-1997� two person exhibition, Alliance Francaise Gallery Colombo.

Awards and other activities
1999- participated for the Windsor and Newton World Wide Millennium painting
Competition and exhibition, London Stockholm, USA
1995/1996- G.S.A. Fernando Award -Art Department, Institute of Aesthetic studies.
1995/1996- L. T.P. Manju Sri Award, Art Department, Institute of Aesthetic studies.
1995/1996- J.D.A. Perera Award, Art Department, Institute of Aesthetic studies.
1990- 1st Prize- Uva Art Competition and Exhibition, Sri Lanka

Residence and workshops
2004- One month resident program, Nanjing Art Institute, Nanjing, China
2004 - 7th International artist Camp, The village Hotel Habarana, Sri Lanka
2003- Three weeks resident program, Kulturforum Rheine, Germany
1998- 2nd International Artists artist Camp, The village Hotel Habarana, Sri Lanka

Website: www.angelfire.com/sk3/sujeewa
Contact email: sujeewakumari@hotmail.com

BIOGRAPHY
Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch, born 1956, Ararat, Victoria, grew up on a country farm, near Hall’s Gap in the Grampians, Victoria. Between art and teaching formal qualifications Madsen-Pietsch worked and travelled interstate gaining life experiences. She settled in Innisfail, North Qld, 1985 to teach, raise a family with her Far North Queensland indigenous husband Clifford Madsen (Kuku Yalangi language group).

Parallel to a long art teaching career is Madsen-Pietsch’s continual commitment to developing her professional art practice in several directions. She has numerous drawing, painting, fibre and sculpture awards and regional exhibition achievements behind her. Kerryn�s most recent success is the touring of her selected solo Elevating the Spirit to show in 2009 at Umbrella Studio, Contemporary Arts Gallery, Townsville, North Qld.

Formal qualifications
2003 Certificate 4 in Public Art, Tropical North Queensland TAFE, Cairns, Qld.
1982 Graduate Diploma in (Secondary) Education, Bendigo CAE, Vic. Majors: Art & Craft (D)
1977 Diploma in Art & Design, Deakin University, Geelong Vic.
1974 TOP Tertiary Orientated Program (equivalent Yr 12) - 9 Subjects (8 x Art) Stawell Technical School, Vic.
1973 HSC Art, Luther College, Croydon, Melbourne.

Recent Solo Exhibition
2007 May-June, ‘Elevating the Spirit’, Cairns Regional Gallery, Qld, (selected)
Touring schedule to date:
2007 July-Oct, Sugarama Gallery ASIM, Mourilyan, Qld
2009 April 24 - May 31, Umbrella Studio, Contemporary Arts, Townsville, Qld, (selected)

Art Overview:
Over the past 20+ years, work has evolved and extended in several areas regarding subject matter, materials, skills and concepts used.
Sometimes described as eclectic, the innovative, dynamic, and creative processes and forces are continually at play in my work. Inspirational sources come from many influences in tune with my spiritual and intuitive journeys: figurative work - exploring the human body form; the organic - use of my tropical environment & imagery; developing and exploring meanings for personal symbolic imagery.

Being multi-skilled due to a long teaching/artist career, the work is often developed and combined across multiple art forms 2D & 3D. Specialty practice areas include - figure/life drawing, painting, mixed media, collage, ceramic/sculpture, textiles - screen printing merchandise, banana fibre receptacles, offset printing, digital assemblage/giclee limited edition archival prints and photography.

For overseas customer convenience, selected works are available for a Print on Demand (POD) service at http://artropica-innisfail-studio-gallery.fineartamerica.com

Artist Statement for ‘Elevating the Spirit’ Exhibition
“The elevating and growth of the spirit, the stitch, colour palette and symbols in these exhibition works stemmed from detaching and extrapolating the stitch from its function (employed in my fibre receptacles) into an exploration of the metaphysical realm of �threads�. Often using collage processes I piece together ideas, concepts, visual elements and pieces of experience and is at the very heart of the creative process. It all acts as a vehicle for projection and exploration of self, linking and connecting to the human psyche, exposing conscious and subconscious realms, the alchemy of relationships while transcending spirit with the Divine.”

Review by Karen van Harskamp, Cairns Post timeout, p.18 Thursday 21.06.07

RAISING SPIRITS

In seeking and making meaning people draw on patterns - of form, action and feeling - to define the indescribable and seemingly random nature of life into recognisable, manageable truths.

‘Elevating the Spirit’ seeks to transform this process into a tangible presence.

The media chosen by the artist is often as fascinating as the end result - ‘Tokens, 3 x 7 = 21′ is a collage work of acrylic, linen thread, rice paper and cotton fabric patterns from favourite old clothing, fused on to a grid pattern across canvas. An exploration of how fragments can constitute the whole but the whole transcends the fragments; this is the art of association. Madsen-Pietsch’s primary derived palette is evocative but subtly manifested, enhanced by the primal humanity of her execution.

Her fibre receptacle, ‘Circular Bound’, suggests the almost universal human desire to reveal, that which is hidden and contain that which is of value.

Exploring the symbolic vessel of being, the heart, the artist evokes the quintessential expressions that have evolved throughout human cultures over time in ‘All Embracing, Where Spirit Resides’.

Oddly connective in their impact, the palette and composition of many works is both intriguing and meditative as evidenced in ‘Spirit of Gold - States of Being’ and ‘Parallels (Page Format Transitions)’.

Revelling in the organic pleasure of tactile creation, ‘Page Format Transitional Series’ celebrates how grounded energies give birth to transformed states and the pleasure of seeing experience manifest as a language of purpose, impact and visual aesthetic.

The mark of the artist imbues the works with unique appeal, a quality attractive to many in a mass-produced age.

With her complex, many layered works Madsen-Pietsch dignifies the challenges of meaning-making in life by honouring the grandeur of the puzzle and the pursuit.

Website: Kerryn Madsen-Pietsch
Contact email: artropica@bigpond.com

Robert Piser is a working artists living in Los Angeles. He is an art director and scenic artist in film, commercials, music videos and photo shoots.

Website: The Daily Palette
Contact email: robertpiser@mac.com