A medical doctor with a dab hand at art

Art has been the fulcrum of human society for centuries. It doesn’t simply serve as a medium of expression, but also a means of encapsulating and showcasing human emotion in their rawest form.

- By Aakil Riyaz

From the emergence of cave paintings nearly 40,000 years ago to the propagation of various periods of art throughout human history, none have been more significant as the renaissance. From Leonardo Da Vinci to Michelangelo, artists of varying calibre contributed to the reawakening of the human spirit through various paintings & sculptures. Centuries later we are still in awe at the accuracy these artistic marvels resemble to the human body. The secret behind this? These artists behind these creations possessed an immense knowledge of human anatomy, thereby enabling them to manipulate their medium of work as required.

But how does this relate to the Sri Lankan context, you might ask? We have with us a multidisciplinary individual who is greatly reminiscent of a modern day renaissance artist.

Dr. Shanaka Kulathunga is a medical doctor with a dab hand at art. An alumnus of the Colombo Medical School, he tangentially pursued an education at the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts, where he came under the tutelage of esteemed Sri Lankan artist Chandragupta Thenuwara.

Gaining a wealth of knowledge