Artist Spotlight: Lalith Senanayake
Relocated from Sri Lanka to Edmonton, this sculptor will showcase his lanterns for Kaleido Fest
Giant, glowing wildlife: travelling sculptor Lalith Senanayake will be featured in the Kaleido Festival this year. Senanayake and his family have travelled the world spreading their message of environmentalism. The sculptor uses entirely reused and recycled materials. Sometimes the materials are from the ocean or often found near his work site. This year, he is preparing giant animal lanterns for the parade opening of Kaleido Fest.
The sculptures often appear lifelike, in motion or ready to pounce. His mission speaks through Senanayake’s artwork, as he chooses large animal subjects for an emotional effect. “This is to teach people to think about animals and how what we do affects the animals,” his wife translates. Working in the studio behind The Carrot, he presented works in progress: a bighorn sheep, bison, and bumblebee that will become part of the parade.
"We like to work with children. When we are [in Sri Lanka], we go into schools with our kids to gather scraps and make sculptures with the students," she said. Perhaps in the future, this is a project they could pursue in Edmonton as well. Senanayake says, "Animals are our partners; we are using their land, and we use big animals for big impact."
Senanayake and his family have recently moved here from Sri Lanka and are hoping to call Edmonton home.
Lalith Senanayake’s other works include a recent brass sculpture, "Our Triangle Leopard Friend," which made its debut at the 2023 London Art Biennale. His sculptures remind us to think about our waste as he turns it into something beautiful.
Follow @lalithsenanayake on Instagram
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