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Drawing Room: Salonika Meattle Aggarwal on Senaka Senanayake’s vibrant art
Senaka Senanayake paints Sri Lanka’s rainforests in their calm and chaos, where every butterfly and bird’s wingbeat hints at nature’s fragile chain reactions
Around the world, artists have been using their practice to highlight the effects of the climate emergency. Back in 1982, Hungarian-American conceptual artist Agnes Denes grew a crop of wheat in a 2.2 acre landfill in New York’s overcrowded, industrialised, financial sector. As Wheatfield – A Confrontation reached harvest, she distributed the grain across 28 cities, with an exhibition titled The International Art Show for the End of World Hunger, and encouraged audiences to plant the seeds.
In 2014, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson transported giant blocks of ice from Greenland, and placed them outside Copenhagen’s City Hall to allow city folks to engage with melting glaciers firsthand. He did it again in Paris in 2015 and in London in 2018. Other artists have painted dramatic apocalypses, recorded the sounds of endangered birds, or simply hung up their national flag dulled by pollution.
Sri Lankan artist Senaka Senanayake’s canvases, in contrast, are vibrant, but highlight essentially the same preoccupation with a decaying natural world. The works feature lush tropical rainforests and endangered species from the island. Instead of being alarmist, however, Senanayake chooses to depict environmental concerns in a uniquely celebratory way.
I’m drawn to Butterflies, a large painting from 2022, which bursts with life as it captures a dazzling interplay of butterflies and tropical flowers. The canvas is layered with bold, saturated hues. There are electric blues, fiery oranges, radiant yellows and lush greens, and each element is seamlessly woven into a dense natural tapestry. Butterflies, with their intricate wings, dominate the foreground, while native Sri Lankan plants decorate the backdrop. Despite the richness of detail, the composition maintains harmony, exuding both movement and calm.
The work, like his others, reflects Senanayake’s roots and his global concerns. His family encouraged him to paint from an early age. He held his first local exhibition at age seven, and an international one in New York at ten. Though he studied Art and Architecture at Yale University, USA, he chose to return home, letting Sri Lanka’s lush rainforests, tropical flowers and rare birds define his artistic voice. There’s a sense of abundance and serenity in the way he views the world. It makes his art both striking and deeply uplifting.
Macaws, another work from 2022, captures the dazzling energy of the birds in their natural habitat. Brilliant colours fill the canvas. Each bird is painted in striking detail. I like the way some macaws perch on their rests quietly, while others take flight, their sweeping wings creating rhythm and movement across the composition. The backdrop of layered foliage, softened with purple and earthy tones, frames the scene while highlighting the birds’ vivid plumage. Senanayake’s dynamic forms convey the exuberance and harmony of the rainforest, celebrating its beauty. His paintings seem to come alive with the forces of nature. They dance in the joy of their own existence.
His vibrant depictions of nature mirror my own fascination with its beauty and energy. Those motifs inspire my own practice, which is why I feel an immediate connection to them. My series, Nature’s Mystique, explores the hidden meanings of flora and fauna, with each painting intended to bring harmony, healing and good fortune into the spaces they inhabit. Senanayake’s commitment to sustainability also echoes my desire to create work that celebrates, respects and aims to preserve nature.
Artist bio: Salonika Meattle Aggarwal’s work is inspired by nature, spirituality and positive energies. Her work blends environmental awareness with storytelling.
From HT Brunch, September 20, 2025
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