A usual work day involves the ritual of going on observational walks, writing, collecting objects and arranging them, all of which help her emotionally align before entering the studio. In her work, she explores the themes of impermanence, emotional regeneration, and interconnectedness between nature and culture. “A central belief in my practice is that every ending holds the possibility of renewal. My process is intense, rhythmic and fluid,” she adds.
“A central belief in my practice is that every ending holds the possibility of renewal”
Her shift from Sri Lanka to Varanasi, is anchored by a constant in her practice- Mycelial networks. To her, “They represent nature’s quiet strength that is fragile yet resilient, soft yet nourishing. Their ability to turn decay into growth exhibits cycles of healing and transformation.” She believes that fragility holds the architecture for resilience and repair. She is fascinated by the processes of fungal growth and regeneration in the way they mirror human experiences of healing and transformation.
In Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world, she observes rituals, textures, and cultural rhythms around her. These have helped her expand the scope of her narrative to read into the connections between red bangles, femininity, culture, and nature. “I’m deeply drawn to materials that carry emotional or cultural memory. They reveal the hidden narratives when reimagined in new forms.” The broken materials in her work act as a fertile ground for new forms– mushrooms emerging from shattered bangles symbolise healing, renewal, and quiet strength. This aligns with her Buddhist belief of, anicca, or the transience of life.
The broken materials in her work act as a fertile ground for new forms– mushrooms emerging from shattered bangles symbolise healing, renewal, and quiet strength.
For her final piece as an artist-in-residence at India Art Fair, Illangasinghe is working on a juxtaposition of bangles and mushrooms in a thirty-five panel mural, titled, “Soft Armours”. She brings together the contrasting objects to explore their possibilities and connections.“One day, I was wearing colourful glass bangles while handcrafting my mushrooms. The sunlight filtered through the window onto the work, and that small moment made me see the emotional and symbolic power that these materials hold when brought together.” The red bangle is a symbol of South Asian femininity, cultural identity, power, and auspicious beginnings and by working with their broken shards that are often linked to loss and misfortune, she seeks to shift the prevalent narrative, “I want to show that what is perceived as “broken” can also carry beauty, agency, and strength.”
“Sri Lanka shaped my sensitivity to softness, lushness, and the emotional atmospheres of nature, while Varanasi has sharpened my understanding of fragility, erosion, and renewal”
“Sri Lanka shaped my sensitivity to softness, lushness, and the emotional atmospheres of nature, while Varanasi has sharpened my understanding of fragility, erosion, and renewal.” This journey has opened a new layer of storytelling that directly impacts her artistic syntax. She experiences her surroundings in a more emotionally charged context that constantly evolves, and where nature, culture, and human experience are inseparably intertwined in the cycle of change. Her motivation to create the work that she does, comes from the urge to find a place for herself in nature and find a means to connect.
Dumiduni Illangasinghe was born in 1997 in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Painting at the Faculty of Visual Arts at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. She is the first International Artist-in-Residence at India Art Fair, supported by KALĀ. Her work will be shown at the Fair in 2026.