ARTRA Magazine

08/08/2025

“Who were they, beyond this group of men who set up the group? In a feminist approach to art history, how do we reframe these women creatives’ works, from their own perspectives and experiences? What role does such an approach play in art history, in setting up a vibrant backdrop for women artists of today?” - Pramodha Weerasekara, ‘Feminist Imprints: As the Emerging Emerge from the Modern in Sri Lanka’, ARTRA Magazine 2025

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Women & Modernism Edition 69, call +94 77 570 1891.

Swanee Jayawardene, (n.d.), Taprobane Collection, Sri Lanka

06/08/2025

“Barbara is an artist and a performer. She’s like a walking work of art, and she dresses brilliantly! Always the life of the party, she can’t help but be the centre of attention. Mostly she likes to shock, while she entertains, to some people’s dismay.” - Nazreen Sansoni , ‘An Artist to a Gallerist’, ARTRA Magazine 2021

For your digital copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Barbara Sansoni Drawings Edition 60, call + 94 77 570 1891.

Barbara Sansoni, Christopher Hogwood, 1974

05/08/2025

“Each of the twelve designs (front and reverse of the six notes) is like a self-contained artwork in its own right, rather than a combination of diverse design features. Laki also had the innovative idea of orienting the reverse side of the notes vertically. This was an entirely original idea, which is still a feature of Sri Lankan banknotes to this day. Just a few other countries have since adopted this design feature.” - Michael Meyler, ‘Laki’s Currency Notes’, interview with ARTRA Magazine

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Works of Laki Senanayake Edition 64, call +94 77 570 1891.

03/08/2025

“However, his art covers a whole range of archaeological and architectural pieces which tend to be a bit more abstract in presentation...He does that, I think, because he tends to be fascinated by the design of particular aspects and the manner through which they come together.” - Mirak Raheem, “A Renaissance Man”, interview for ARTRA Magazine 2024

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Art & Design of Ismeth Raheem Edition 67, call +94 77 570 1891.

Ismeth Raheem, 2022, Collapse of Yapahuwa, Raheem Collection, Colombo

02/08/2025

A detailed review on Daily FT of our panel ‘South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art in Britain’ that took place at Phillips, 30 Berkeley Square amidst the Crossing Borders | South Asian Modern Art by Grosvenor Gallery & Phillips London on the 19th of July at 10.30am.

This is ARTRA’s third talk/panel discussion in London in pursuit of promoting Sri Lankan and South Asian Art beyond the shores.

“What binds together South Asian artists are shared histories, profound civilisations and colonised pasts with similar political, social, and cultural climates,” shared ARTRA Magazine Editor-in-Chief Azara Jaleel as she addressed the audience at Phillips, Berkeley Square, London, last Saturday. ...

30/07/2025

“Exposed as Lionel Wendt was to the emerging trends in Europe and Asia, he also had an appreciation of the history and art, architecture and music of his home country. Breaking new ground was the norm to him, and he inspired his coterie of artists to sever connections with the colonial trends of the day and paint what was indigenous to their souls – not according to any accepted type, form or culture.” - Anu Weerasuriya, ‘Spirited Spur of an Artistic Renaissance’, interview for ARTRA Magazine 2021

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Lionel Wendt Photographs Edition 58, call +94 77 570 1891.

Spotty Collection, Battaramulla

Lionel Wendt Art Centre

29/07/2025

“I admire an artist’s madness to create work, to explore certain materials, to experiment and introduce new art forms. This applies to many artists from South Asia– India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. I know Anoli Perera, Jagath Weerasinghe, Pala Pothupitiye, Thisath Thoredeniya, Bandu Manamperi and many other Sri Lankan artists from my work with the Britto Arts Trust.” - Tayeba Begum Lipi , ‘The Feminine Paradox’, interview for ARTRA Magazine 2025

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s debut South Asian Contemporary Art Edition 68, call +94 77 570 1891

Tayeba Lipi, 2021, Solidarity

27/07/2025

“Maise de Silva (1907 – 1999) is one of the first women artists who is acknowledged in the literary canon. She received the Kalapathi Award at the Ceylon Society of Art Centenary (1887-1987) in appreciation of dedicated services rendered towards the cause of art, sculpture and cultural activities in Sri Lanka.” - Azara Jaleel, ‘Predicament in the Present: Sri Lankan Women Artists of the Early to Mid 1900s’ main essay, ARTRA Magazine 2025

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Women & Modernism Edition 69, call +94 77 570 1891

Maisie de Silva, 1947, Socialite, Rohan de Soysa Collection

25/07/2025

“My works featured in this segment are a part of a thirteen-part series on the various Forts of Sri Lanka and thus, in my visual critique, I have highlighted the valuable resource the seaport forts were to the colonizers, and used cartography to bring to light the often understated power mapping has had in colonialist structures.” - Pala Pothupitiya, excerpt from ARTRA Magazine 2024

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine’s Gallle Fort in the Contemporary Edition 66, call +94 77 570 1891.

Pala Pothupitiye, 2016, Colombo Fort

23/07/2025

"Editorial cartoons are effective because they excel in their economy of words by saying so much with so little, sometimes with no words at all! The level of satire – in cartoons, standup comedy and satirical drama – tolerated in a society is also a good barometer of its free speech." - Nalaka Gunawardene, 'Cartoons in the Contemporary', interview with ARTRA Magazine 2023

🔗 Read his full interview 'Cartoons in the Contemporary' on https://artra.lk/comics-and-caricatures-edition-cartoons-in-the-contemporary-2/

For your copy/copies of ARTRA Magazine's Comics & Caricatures Edition 65, call +94 77 570 1891.

Aubrey Collette, Unknown, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Heritage Collection

Aubrey Collette, Unknown, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Malaka Talwatte Collection

20/07/2025

A very special thank you to our panelists Nadia Samdani MBE, Anita Dawood, Charles Moore & Rekha Rodwitiya for making our panel ‘South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art in Britain’ a roaring success with much to think about with relation to the future of South Asian Art and its presentation globally.

Await recording & critical review of the panel discussion shortly

19/07/2025

The panel discussion South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art in Britain revolved around the shared histories, artistic practices, profound civilizations and colonized pasts of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with reference to the potent works of seminal artists including those of Zubeida Agha, Tayeba Lipi, Ali Kazim, Anoli Perera, Francis Newton Souza, Lionel Wendt amongst others, whilst also reflecting upon the characteristic South Asian Art Practices through unconventional material, overshadowed voices of Women Modernists and their importance in building theories to understand feminist art, consequences and importance of South Asian Art included in the public collections of influential art institutions and at the same time, the alternative ways through which South Asian Art can, and should be experienced - more openly and effectively outside of gallery spaces.

We are happy to note that the talk was resoundingly received by an engaging audience at Phillips, 30, Berkeley Square London on Saturday, the 19th of July. Moderated by Azara Jaleel, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ARTRA Magazine, the panel consisted of an eminent group of global art personalities including Nadia Samdani MBE, the President of the Samdani Art Foundation and Director of Dhaka Art Summit (DAS), Anita Dawood, independent editor who amongst many other publications, edited Hardeep Pandhal: Inheritance Quest and Rana Begum: Space, Light Colour, Rekha Rodwitiya, art practioner focusing on feminist art and founder and CEO of The Collective Studio Baroda and Charles Moore, Director & Co-Owner of Grosvenor Gallery. The panel discussion organized by ARTRA took place amidst the exhibition Crossing Borders by Grosvenor Gallery & Phillips, featuring over 150 works of South Asian Modernists.
A very special thank you from ARTRA, Grosvenor Gallery and Phillips London to our esteemed panelists and engaging audience who attended.

Await online recording & critical review of the talk shortly on ARTRA Platforms and official website www.artra.lk