The Lilies of the Field Do not Toil or Spin

For several years I felt a disconnect with much of the art I encountered, feeling that it didn’t hold space for me or my story. So, I set out to create visual stories that spoke to my journey. Coming as an adult migrant to Australia and starting a career afresh was an act of hope on my part. This is part of a series of works about hope where I start with the title. I love the performing arts and the idea of a ballerina (the epitome of discipline, resilience, grace and beauty) in a grand concert hall to bring this idea to life seemed apt. The Sinhala words jaya (victory) are inscribed on the soles of her shoes and the corner of this stage, and jeevithaya (life) on her skirt. The red drips reference the blood, sweat and tears shed over the years in pursuit of a hope and a dream. And do we savour when we get there? Not the adulation of others, rather it’s the innate joy that comes from knowing that we got there, we prevailed.