Hello! If you're reading this, it means you are interested in art made by real people with real stories to tell! So, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to encourage artists like me.
My name is Shobana Adhikari and I'm a Sri Lankan artist in Sydney, Australia. I live here with my husband and two children, and they inspire my work every bit as my surroundings and interests do.
Growing up in scenic, peaceful Kandy, I witnessed my parents' love for nature and gardening and developed an affinity for the very same things. I'm a simple, hardworking artist who is self-taught and passionate about bringing a canvas to life, not just with paints and colors, but with the many teachings I've imbibed from nature and all life forms, and also the colorful stories of my childhood, youth, culture, country and all experiences - like motherhood - that life has offered along the way. And that is what differentiates my work from others.
Over the last decade, I've lived in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and eventually moved to Australia in 2022, where I finally realized my dream of becoming an artist with a voice and a platform on which to showcase my art for the world to see. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity because it not only gave me the chance to express myself, but also gave me a chance to do my bit for this beautiful planet, in my own small way. I have chosen to use this medium to spread word about causes close to my heart, especially the environment.
I've tried to create my work based on techniques I learnt in school and inspired by various, new age artists as well. As a result, you'll find my work is a quaint mix of the eclectic and traditional, the familiar and unexplored. My work could be displayed in an austere office space but also in a casual coffee shop, on a wall in your home or in a school, where I hope some child might be moved enough by my work to dream my dream and choose to splash their imagination across a canvas and inspire future generations.
I hope to convey my sentiments, stories and hopes for the future, in a manner that transcends boundaries and becomes relevant, no matter which part of the world one is in. I want to prove that in order to make a mark, one only needs to be passionate and hardworking and look within to inspire oneself and others.
When I'm not engrossed in painting, I like going out exploring this lovely city that I now call home, I enjoy cooking homemade meals for my family and of course - pottering about in my own garden, looking for inspiration to model my next work of art!