Senaka Senanayake

Senaka Senanayake is one of Sri Lanka’s most renowned artists. He has over a hundred solo shows to his name and has been included in numerous group exhibitions across the world, in prominent locations such as New York, London, Canberra, Osaka and Rome. Senanayake’s first ever solo exhibition was in 1959, when he was only seven years old. A few years later, he achieved international acclaim when he held his first one-man exhibition in New York at the Asia House Art Gallery, aged only ten.

After several years as a self-taught artist, Senanayake went on to receive his formal training from Yale University graduating in Art and Architecture. He moved back to Sri Lanka after graduation and the country’s flora and fauna became his muse. Focusing on endangered species and contemporary issues of the environment, Senanayake brings attention to the beauty of the natural landscape and the vibrant colours of Sri Lanka.

In the present work, Senanayake masterfully portrays four hummingbirds suspended in the air. Like a photograph, this work captures the fleeting moment of a hummingbird’s fluttering wings. Their beaks extend into purple flowers as they feed on the nectar of a blossoming branch. Bulbous, whimsical clouds are sunlit, with pink-orange hues peeking through, but it appears that the night sky is descending upon the birds from the edges of the composition.

Vibrant colour and animal life hold a deep significance in Senanayake's work, allowing him to express the life, strength, and beauty of his native land. His canvases are an immersive experience of nature and show his immense appreciation of his homeland.