Priyadarshani Tennakoon makes richly textured abstract paintings where imagination and nature meet, and the reading is left open to the viewer.

Each work begins with texture. Some works begin with modeling paste laid down as a foundation, blended with color for depth and worked in its semi-fluid state into patterns and shapes; others begin with a simple base coat of paint. She works primarily with a palette knife and acrylic, chosen for its versatility, and in places pours thinned paint, letting it settle into the texture.

The paintings move between abstraction, surrealism, and naturalism, blurring the lines between them. Serene hues settle into heavily worked surfaces, so each piece rewards both close looking and quiet distance, and what a viewer finds there remains their own.

Tennakoon began her creative path in 2010 with hand-painted greeting cards, and is the founder of Anuhasa, which grew from cards, handcrafted florals, and wall hangings into a dedicated painting practice. Her debut solo exhibition, To Wait for What Appears, was held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery, Colombo, in August 2026. Her work next appears in A Grammar of Color, a group exhibition at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery in December 2026.