The Barefoot Gallery is pleased to introduce artist Nalin Indrasena and his series of work Luminous Emptiness. Nalin Indrasena, a retired civil servant of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, now dedicates his full time to his own artistic practice. Over the years he has worked with Oil, Acrylics, and other media before finally settling on Cold Wax and Oil mixed media.
With this medium, he is able to bring out the textures, patinas, designs and forms that resonate with him.
Through the use of Oil and Cold Wax Mixed Media together with various forms of pigments, Indrasena is able to selectively reduce the surface of the painting to bring out the multitude of hidden layers creating depth and a sense of fragility. Singularities and repetitions are reflected in some of his paintings which are based on specific events, objects, or conditions. The var horizons of Iraq to the magnanimity of Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, to the parched landscapes of Jordan, and the breathtaking mountains of Switzerland are just a few examples.
Luminous Emptiness is therefore a series of gestural work that portrays the juxtaposition of vivid cultures and physical devastation in unique places that Indrasena has visited. Unfortunately, some of these places no longer exist due to the deliberate destruction or natural deterioration, leaving what remains to be preserved in memories or told through nostalgic stories. In his paintings, the emptiness in the form relates to the presence (or absence) of these historical places, while the luminosity describes the richness of cultures, art, and its people.
This is Nalin Indrasena's first exhibition in Sri Lanka.