Siobhan's Gallery Wall

Art page and small business! Get in touch for prints and commissions

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Tea Pluckers

One of the things most commonly associated with Sri Lanka is its tea. Over 1 million Sri Lankans are employed by the tea industry, with tea pluckers performing arguably one of the most important parts of the process.

The vast majority of tea pluckers are Tamil, descended from Indians brought to Sri Lanka by British colonisers in the 1800s.

Most tea pluckers are women, who often pass on their work to their daughters. These families live on the tea estates, in rows of small barracks-style houses referred to as ‘lines’. Tea estates tend to be located in the central highlands, such as Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, where the humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall favour the production of high-quality tea. 

Tea bushes on these estates are found on mountain slopes, planted in neat rows. Tea buds must be picked every 7-14 days, and tea pluckers often work in different parts of the estate every day. Tea leaves are gathered in tarpaulin bags or wicker baskets. 

Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth-largest producer of tea, with the industry accounting for 2% of the country’s GDP. However, more than that, tea is a major part of the culture of the country. Tea is used to welcome people to your home, as a form of relaxation after long day, and as such, is a staple in the routines of most Sri Lankans. 

If you are interested in prints of this - or any - piece, please get in touch via DM, or drop me an email at [email protected] :)

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Kandyan Dancers and Drummers

Kandyan dancing and drumming is Sri Lanka’s iconic traditional performing art. Both drummers and dancers are identified by their elaborate costumes - drummers themselves wear a white turban, breastplate, broad waistband, and sarong 

Kandyan dancers are accompanied by traditional drum beats, distinguished by frequent and sudden changes in tempo and irregular rhythmic patterns. This performance is iconic for being extremely high energy. 

There are various types of traditional drum, the most iconic of which is the classic Kandyan drum - the geta bera. This is a double-headed drum suspended from the player’s waist and played with both hands.

Drummers and dancers are a key element of the Kandy Perahera festival 

If you are interested in prints of this - or any - piece, please get in touch via DM, or drop me an email at [email protected] :)

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Tuk tuks or ‘three-wheelers’ are a core component of Sri Lankan life and form a vital part of the day to day.

There are many different types of three-wheeler, the most common of which is made up of a sheet metal open-frame body, a canvas roos with drop down curtains for the open sides, atop, of course, three wheels, with the inside divided into a front cabin for the drive and a rear cabin for passengers.

Three-wheelers are a staple across all of urban and rural Sri Lanka. There are approximately 1.2 million three-wheelers on the island, making them the most common type of vehicle in Sri Lanka.

Three-wheelers provide an affordable and convenient mode of travel. Some three-wheelers require the passenger and the driver to agree on the price of the journey, whereas an increasing number of vehicles come with a meter.

Most importantly, three-wheelers create a valuable source of income for people in both urban and rural parts of the island.

Three-wheelers are an iconic staple of the island, making them popular with tourists. For me as a little girl, they were part of the whimsy of my home, a novel treat, and an important part of the vibrant personality of the island 

If you are interested in prints of this - or any - piece, please get in touch via DM, or drop me an email at [email protected] :)

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Stilt Fishermen

This is a fishing method unique to Sri Lanka, with fisherman primarily living within a 30km stretch of the southern cost between Unawatuna and Weligama. They sit on a cross bar - called a petta - tied to a vertical pole driven into the sand a few metres from the shore. Through this method, they primarily catch small fish such as spotted herring and mackerel. 

This is a fairly recent tradition, dating back 80 years or so. It is thought to have begun in response to food shortages during World War II. The skills these men learnt from adapting to their circumstance was passed down to at least two new generations of stilt fishermen. 

However, nowadays, the catch is small and growing smaller, calling into question how long this tradition will last. The 2004 tsunami changed the Sri Lankan coastline, limiting access to fish by this method. Now, fishermen tend to rent their poles to actors, who serve as a tourist attraction. The majority of fishermen have turned to new sources of income, such as farming.

If you are interested in prints of this - or any - piece, please get in touch via DM, or drop me an email at [email protected] :)

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Sri Lanka Series!

Since I began creating and posting my art on social media, I have come across so many incredible desi artists. I have loved the positive strides taken to increase representation and inclusivity in art and social media. Being from Sri Lanka, I wanted to create a series of paintings to explore and celebrate my country. In particular, the idea of this series is to focus on the vibrant, multicultural nature of this community, and its deep and proud history and tradition.

This piece is of the Perahera Elephant. 

The Kandy Perahera is a Buddhist festival celebrated in July and August in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The festival is in honour of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is house in the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple) in Kandy. The festival consists of traditional dancers, jugglers, musicians, fire-breathers, and most memorably a procession of elephants decked out in elaborate costumes. Elephants have always features in the Perahera as they are regarded as symbols of abundance and fertility. There are many elephants in the parade, the most important of which is the Maligawa Elephant - commonly a tusker - who carries the Sacred casket said to contain the tooth relic. One such Elephant was Raja, a large male tusker who carried the casket in the parade for 50 years. He is now celebrated as a national treasure.

I had a lot of fun using so many bright colours and bold prints, so I plan on keeping this up as a on-going series!

If you are interested in prints of this - or any - piece, please get in touch via DM, or drop me an email at [email protected] :)

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Hello!

Hello everyone! My name is Siobhan, I’m a recent psychology graduate, and a self-taught artist. Art has been a hobby and an outlet for me for many years, but recently I started to think of it as something more. Creating art has allowed me to find a like-minded community, a wonderful support system, and continues to be a great source of joy and relaxation. More than that, in recent months, I’ve started to see creating art as a way of creating the representation that I have been craving. As a child, I didn’t see my culture or heritage celebrated in mainstream media or, as I grew up, on social media. What happens when there is a dearth of representation in popular culture? You create it yourself! As such, I focus on creating dest-inspired pieces informed by and as a celebration of where I come from. I have also begun to sell prints of my work and to offer commissions, so if anything catches your eye, do get in touch!