Artful Struggles: Art in the Aftermath of the Aragalaya-Porattam

Lars Waldorf; Nilanjana Premaratna

doi:10.4324/9781003603498-8

Artful Struggles: Art in the Aftermath of the Aragalaya-Porattam

Lars Waldorf, Nilanjana Premaratna

Northumbria Law School

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter describes the 2023 “Artful Struggles” exhibition in London that commemorated the 2022 Sri Lankan protest movement (Aragalaya-Porattam, or ‘struggle’) and contextualized ongoing struggles in the country. The exhibition foregrounded paintings by Sujith Rathnayake, who had set up the art gallery at the main occupy site in Colombo. Overall, the exhibition explored how the visual arts helped promote – and now help sustain – a more hopeful, pluralistic and just politics for Sri Lanka.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Contemporary Sri Lankan Literature and Art
Subtitle of host publication	The Creation of a New Community in the Aftermath of War
Editors	Stefan Horlacher, Thilini Meegaswatta
Place of Publication	London
Publisher	Routledge
Chapter	8
Pages	183–190
Number of pages	8
Edition	1st
ISBN (Electronic)	9781003603498
ISBN (Print)	9781032479170, 9781032993218
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003603498-8
Publication status	Published - 3 Nov 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

art
exhibition
protest
Sri Lanka
Sujith Rathnayake

Access to Document

10.4324/9781003603498-8

https://www.routledge.com/9781032479170

Cite this

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abstract = "This chapter describes the 2023 “Artful Struggles” exhibition in London that commemorated the 2022 Sri Lankan protest movement (Aragalaya-Porattam, or {\textquoteleft}struggle{\textquoteright}) and contextualized ongoing struggles in the country. The exhibition foregrounded paintings by Sujith Rathnayake, who had set up the art gallery at the main occupy site in Colombo. Overall, the exhibition explored how the visual arts helped promote – and now help sustain – a more hopeful, pluralistic and just politics for Sri Lanka.",

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Artful Struggles: Art in the Aftermath of the Aragalaya-Porattam. / Waldorf, Lars; Premaratna, Nilanjana.
Contemporary Sri Lankan Literature and Art: The Creation of a New Community in the Aftermath of War. ed. / Stefan Horlacher; Thilini Meegaswatta. 1st. ed. London: Routledge, 2025. p. 183–190.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Artful Struggles: Art in the Aftermath of the Aragalaya-Porattam

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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Affective Justice for an Ineffective Transition: Visceral, Vicarious Responsibility in Paangshu and Demons in Paradise

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