The Interview: Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah
Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah is a multidisciplinary Sri Lankan artist based in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. His practice encompasses drawing, painting, video, sculpture, installation, and performance.
Much of his work is shaped by the legacies of Sri Lanka’s Civil War (1983–2009), a conflict rooted in ethnic and religious divisions between Tamils and Sinhalese. Pakkiyarajah explores both human and nonhuman perspectives while emphasizing the healing potential of art. His creations invite a global audience to reflect on these issues and amplify the voices of conflict victims who often remain unheard.
His work also addresses how communities burdened by a troubled past may navigate their history while envisioning a regenerative future.
Interview Highlights from ArtReview Asia
Awareness of Conflict’s Impact on Nature
“Whether they understand or not, still I’m making a conversation with them and me. I’m asking audiences to come and see and understand my history, see how everything is connected, and how even my war is also connected with everything.”
Pakkiyarajah recalls his earliest awareness of environmental damage linked to conflict during his journey to the University of Jaffna for undergraduate studies. He noticed land with trees burnt and bare of leaves, a vivid indication of the war's reach beyond people.
“I’m asking audiences to come and see and understand my history, see how everything is connected, and how even my war is also connected with everything.”
Summary
Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah uses multidisciplinary art to connect personal and collective histories of conflict with nature’s wounds, fostering dialogue about healing and future regeneration.
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