Pradeep Thalawatta

Pradeep Thalawatta is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans photography, drawing, video, performance, installation, and painting. His work engages deeply with the socio-political realities of post-conflict Sri Lanka, interrogating themes of memory, trauma, and transformation within the shifting urban landscape. Through an expansive use of materials and mediums, Thalawatta constructs layered narratives that reflect the tensions between history, place, and identity.

Thalawatta studied at the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts as a studio-based artist before completing his design training at the National Design Centre, Sri Lanka. He holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan. His solo exhibitions include: A Different Road with Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka (2012); and Day 2 Day with Theertha Red Dot Gallery, Pitakotte, Sri Lanka (2008).

He has presented his work in numerous group exhibitions, both in Sri Lanka and internationally. Notable exhibitions include: A line in the Earth with LATITUDE 28, New Delhi, India (2025) Served to you with a dash of lime with PRSFG , Colombo, Sri Lanka (2025); (Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia: Young Artists’ Voices at SOAS Gallery, London, presented by the Ravi Jain Memorial Foundation and supported by Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi (2025); Islanded, Aicon Gallery, Greenwich Village, New York, USA (2024); Dream Of The Day, ILHAM Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2022); South by Southeast, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong (2015); and more.

He has also participated and exhibited at the Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh (2018); Zahoor-Ul-Ikhlaq Gallery, Pakistan (2018); Times Museum, Hong Kong (2016); Dakar Biennale, Senegal (2016); Satrang Gallery, Pakistan (2015); Brunei Gallery, London (2014); Shanthiroad Gallery, India (2010); and the National Art Gallery, Maldives (2009). He was also a part of several prestigious residencies such as the Murree Museum Artist Residency, Pakistan (2016); Commonwealth Connections International Arts Residencies, India (2011); Theertha Artist Collective Workshops and Residencies, Sri Lanka (2008–2010); and Khoj Artist’s Workshop, India (2009). He was among the 30 finalists for the Asian Art Prize, Christie’s, Hong Kong (2014–2015) and is a two-time recipient of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Arts Scholarship (2005–2006, 2015–2016).

His works are held in the permanent collections of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan, and the Millesgården Museum, Sweden.