December 15, 2023 Bridge Team
The ‘Canvas of Courage’ art competition, held on December 10 to commemorate Human Rights Day, spotlighted the challenges confronted by the LGBTQ+ community in Sri Lanka. Here is a chance to take a glimpse of some of the impactful artworks from the event.
ශ්රී ලංකාවේ LGBTQ+ ප්රජාව මුහුණ දෙන අභියෝග පිළිබඳව අවධානය යොමු කරමින් ඉදිරිපත් කල ‘Canvas of Courage’ කලා නිර්මාණ තරඟාවලියේ නිර්මාණ ප්රදර්ශණය පසුගිය දෙසැම්බර් 10 වෙනිදා මානව හිමිකම් දිනය නිමිති කරගන පැවැත්වුණි. මේ සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබූ නිර්මාණ කිහිපයක් මෙසේ අප ඉදිරිපත් කරන්නෙමු.
❝𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫❞ (රාමුවෙන් එහා…)
©Artwork – Sankalpa Rajakaruna
This piece symbolizes the challenges faced by individuals in the LGBTQ+ community striving for recognition as human beings. Placed in a gallery, the character is objectified by a society that tends to view them as devoid of feelings or emotions. Despite breaking free from the confines of a picture frame, representing liberation, the character, portrayed as a butterfly (“සමනලයා”), is unable to fly away due to inflicted wounds.
The metaphorical cutting of wings by a victorian slicer signifies societal oppression. The narrative underscores the unfortunate reality that societal harassment, whether verbal, emotional, or physical, weakens these individuals, preventing them from leading authentic lives. Society’s tendency to pity rather than empower exacerbates their plight.
❝𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦!❞ (මීට ආදරයෙන්, නිදහස…)
©Artwork – Kevin Nambuge
This artwork portrays the challenging life of an LGBTQ individual in Sri Lanka, where they often face mistreatment in various forms – hate speech, insults, threats, negativity, discrimination in employment and opportunities, unwarranted staring, and most alarmingly, violence and abuse. The surrounding faces represent those contributing to this mistreatment, emphasizing the lack of effective mechanisms for assistance despite changing regulations. The pride-colored aura signifies the LGBTQ community globally, emphasizing the support they provide for each other. The overall message advocates for love, urging people to embrace and spread love and humanity to create a more inclusive world.
❝𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬❞ (සිඳුණු පියාපත්)
©Artwork – Artist is Anonymous
A Silent Scream for Equality. In a world cloaked in shadows, an angelic soul, bearing the hues of the rainbow, falls victim to the scars of discrimination. With a scar in her hand and the weight of prejudice on her shoulders, she stands as a poignant symbol of the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community. In the misty backdrop, haunting human shadows cast a stark reminder of the human rights violations endured by those who dare to love freely. This artwork speaks volumes about the urgent need for empathy, understanding, and a collective effort to dispel the darkness that shrouds the path to true equality.
❝𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞❞ – පොන්*යා
©Artwork – Aryan
In this poignant portrayal, a pencil-drawn fusion of a male and female figure symbolizes the strength and struggle of transgender individuals in Sri Lanka. Yet, within the haunting narrative, the bruised eye and injured lip on the female side bear witness to the harsh reality of physical and verbal abuse. The word ‘Ponnaya,’ a derogatory slur etched on the male counterpart, serves as a stark reminder of the verbal violence inflicted upon the transgender community. This artwork is a call for awareness and empathy, shedding light on the urgent need to address human rights violations and foster a society where every individual, regardless of gender identity, can live free from discrimination and harm.
❝𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲❞ – වැළපෙන සමනළයෙක්…
©Artwork – Beenu Manukulasuriya
The central figure is a transwoman adorned with a butterfly on her head, adorned with numerous printed words. These words symbolize the insults and hurtful remarks that trans women endure daily from society, contributing to the breaking of their hearts. Despite the vibrant and colorful background, representing the vivid and lively aspects of the society she inhabits, the poignant portrayal of the weeping butterfly conveys her underlying unhappiness.
❝𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦❞ – නිහඬ කල හඬ…
©Artwork – Udayanga Perera
In this powerful digital depiction, a female figure stands voiceless, her mouth forcibly covered by a tightening hand. The vibrant rainbow flag painted on her cheek symbolizes the silenced voices of the LGBTQ+ community in Sri Lanka. The hand that muffles her speaks volumes, with each finger bearing labels of the oppressors: Discrimination, Cultural Standards, Religious Beliefs, and Social Norms. This artwork serves as a stark reminder of the multifaceted challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Sri Lanka, where restrictive ideologies and societal pressures attempt to stifle their right to expression. It calls for a collective effort to dismantle the barriers of prejudice and create a space where every voice can be heard, and every identity can flourish free from the grip of discrimination.
❝𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑❞ – 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧…
©Artwork – Sandalwood Bear
This portrait of the Lacrymancer is created from pieces of black and white newspapers, symbolizing the society we live in. The monochrome newspapers also represent the straight flag, emphasizing the societal focus on heteronormativity, forcing queer individuals to remain concealed. The lacrymancer sheds tears in the vibrant colors of the pride flag, letting out the pride within his hetero mask he uses to conceal his queer identity, representing his struggle, fear, shame, sadness and perception. This black and white mask has unclear facial features because it is just a husk. The background of the portrait features a pride flag that is barely visible, shrouded by the layers of black and white heteronormativity.
❝𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲❞ – අසම්මතය කෙරෙහි ඇති වියෝව
©Artwork – Wathmee Kahandugoda
In this artwork, the LGBTQ+ community grapples with societal confines that rigidly adhere to gender binaries. Shock, grief, and human violence depict the mourning of non-conformity to societal norms. Uneven, non-conforming colors symbolize the community’s divergence, while the black cast conceals their raw diversity. Tearing elements expose the underbelly, shedding light on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in a society resistant to embracing their true identities.