Druvinka Puri returns to the Barefoot Gallery in Colombo with “Alakhshya: One that cannot be perceived”, renewing her longstanding ties to the gallery.
Words: Jennifer Paldano Goonewardane.
Artists who delve into spirituality, consciousness, inner experience, and the metaphysical dimensions of life often move beyond the mundane to engage with realms that surpass ordinary human perception and understanding. It’s precisely this complexity that Sri Lankan-born Druvinka Puri, formerly known as Druvinka Madawala, brings to her work. Druvinka who lives and works in the Himalayas of India is also a sadhu who practices India’s ancient occult traditions. She navigates an expansive inner universe shaped by spiritual inquiry and philosophical reflection, translating these explorations into profoundly layered visual narratives.
Her latest body of work, as the exhibition’s title suggests, is indeed beyond the mind and the senses. It reflects the artist’s “pictures” of reality, suggesting the enduring quest for the ultimate reality and meaning of the universe. Collectively, her paintings operate in the realm between abstraction and symbolism. As for her method of painting, Druvinka builds her surfaces through translucent layers of greys, blues, sepia, and ochre, creating misty, meditative qualities that deepen and cast shadows, infusing earthiness and warmth.
The use of handmade Nepali bamboo paper resonates with the artist’s quest for reality and meaning – especially in the Himalayan context – reinforcing the idea of impermanence and natural cycles. In her smaller works, Druvinka turns to the sacred iconography and surrounding landscapes of her Indian home, weaving them into a continuing spiritual journey articulated through her art. Among the first artists to be exhibited by Barefoot Gallery Colombo, and has since worked with them for over two decades, Druvinka’s exhibitions are often described as a psychic journey. As she returns to Colombo with “Alakhshya”, it’s yet again an invitation to contemplate existence, consciousness, and the unseen.
March 6 – 28, 2026
Barefoot Art Gallery, Colombo
