On a mission to shape next generation of artists

For Father Samantha Thushara art is a bridge that unites, allowing the sharing of common human experiences

- - By Quintus Colombage

When he is not busy with pastoral engagements, Father Samantha Thushara can be found in his bustling art studio, located behind the stone facade of Holy Cross Church in Gampaha, Sri Lanka's Western Province.

From rising early in the morning to returning to bed late at night, the 53-year-old, soft-spoken priest remains busy with chisels and mud as an artist, sculptor, and art teacher.

"Art is a bridge. It unites us despite our differences, allowing us to share common human experiences," he told UCA News in a recent interview.

Thushara has created dozens of paintings and life-sized statues of religious and globally renowned personalities and trained over 200 art students, including Christians, since 2015.

He has been conducting training workshops for both young men and women in Gampaha and the nearby Kimbulapitiya area.

The priest says he not only teaches them paintings or sculptures but also "sculpting their lives."

Over the past few years, Thushara and his students have crafted statues of Jesus, Mary, and Catholic saints, as well as global icons such as Aristotle, Mahatma Gandhi, Karl Marx, William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Che Guevara, and Martin Luther King Jr.

They have also created Buddha statues for temples and public places across Sri Lanka.

Transforming lives