Sanath Herath was born in a village outside the city of Gampola and grew up in its natural surroundings for much of his life. After his secondary education in the city of Kandy, he joined the University of Moratuwa. He studied landscape architecture further strengthening his connection to the natural environment. Sanath continues to share his knowledge with the next generation of students as a teacher at his alma mater.
The representation of nature in art and the idea of understanding these phenomena by imitating them in art was of great interest to him. He used his innate interest and patience for making representational work, to explore this aspect of understanding natural history. Researching the history of the tradition of natural history paintings, Sanath was inspired by the work of Maria Sybilla Merian and later that of G. M. Henry. By representing the lifecycles of these Endangered butterflies he hopes that people will be inspired to protect or even grow the types of plants that will support them and pave the way to healthier surroundings for us all.
The representation of nature in art and the idea of understanding these phenomena by imitating them in art was of great interest to him. He used his innate interest and patience for making representational work, to explore this aspect of understanding natural history. Researching the history of the tradition of natural history paintings, Sanath was inspired by the work of Maria Sybilla Merian and later that of G. M. Henry. By representing the lifecycles of these Endangered butterflies he hopes that people will be inspired to protect or even grow the types of plants that will support them and pave the way to healthier surroundings for us all.