Nanda Kandasamy (Geevan)
Arts & Expression, South Asian, Visual Art
I am a self-taught Tamil artist from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. As a child, I was influenced by my father's temple murals painted at Hindu festivals. By the young age, I was drawing portraits with a black ballpoint pen. My sketches of historical figures who made an impact on the world revealed an early interest in a broader vision of life.
My deep desire to paint was fuelled by strong emotions and impressions associated with my surroundings at that time. I had an urge to reflect the injustices of the war in Sri Lanka and its toll on the civilian population. Expression through art was, in itself, a form of protest in a climate of silence and fear. I launched my first exhibition of works from 1983-1993 entitled 'Sufferings of My People'.
My exploration of 'Computer painting' as a medium emerged in the 1990s as a means to continue my journey. I have a commitment to create, a need to paint. In the future, I wish to use these images both as models for canvas paintings and as computer-generated prints in their own right. My artwork communicates with many refugees and immigrants who share in the images of suffering, pain, violence and oppression.
My most recent body of work has been influenced by the cultural confusion of Tamil children here in North America and by the violence of youth culture in general. At this stage in my artistic career, I wish to exhibit my collected works to a more diverse audience for exposure, critique and possible collaboration.
Geevan's exhibitions PDF file - Reader Required
The art works are computer paints. Some are vector and other are pixel. Adobe Illustrator and Adobe PhotoShop are used to create Nanda's artworks.
Photo Gallery - Click Images to View
Photography: Nanda
Kandasamy (Geevan)
