Deeshani Fernando

Deeshani Fernando is a Sri Lankan Canadian residing in Dundas, Ontario. Deeshani Fernando's artistic practice offers an exploration of interspecies interaction and cultural identity through meticulously crafted landscape paintings. By strategically selecting diverse biological entities, Fernando creates visual narratives that transcend mere aesthetic representation, instead probing the complex dynamics of coexistence and mutual understanding.

 

Her work emerges from a deeply personal cartography of memory, drawing upon childhood experiences and global travel to construct intricate ecological metaphors. Each painted landscape becomes a sophisticated dialogue about difference, not as a source of conflict, but as an opportunity for respectful engagement. The careful selection of flora and fauna serves as an allegory for human social interactions, challenging viewers to reconsider preconceived notions of boundaries and belonging.

 

The chromatic and compositional choices are deliberate, transforming each canvas into a complex ecosystem of symbolic meaning. Color, line, and shape are not merely aesthetic elements, but active participants in a larger conversation about diversity, adaptation, and mutual recognition. Every work created ultimately focuses on honouring the diversity of our local and global geographic environment for audiences to connect and celebrate.