Lojithan Ram’s Poetic Debut Solo Show “Arra Kuļamum, Kottiyum, Āmpalum” Opens at PRSFG, Colombo
Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery (PRSFG) is proud to present “Arra Kuļamum, Kottiyum, Āmpalum”, the debut solo exhibition by contemporary Sri Lankan Tamil artist Lojithan Ram, on view from May 23 to June 23, 2025, at PRSFG’s Horton Place location in Colombo.
Rooted in Ram’s Sri Lankan Tamil heritage and shaped by his experiences growing up in Batticaloa, the exhibition offers a deeply moving and poetic exploration of memory, loss, and resilience. The title, drawn from a verse by the ancient Tamil poetess Avvaiyar, references aquatic plants that survive in a sun-dried pond — a poignant metaphor for survival and rootedness amid erasure and displacement.
A Poetic Landscape of Loss and Survival
Through a practice centered on lens-based media and alternative printing processes, Ram constructs an emotional and spiritual cartography where memory becomes both a refuge and a burden. His cyanotypes, layered with family photographs, ritual motifs, and verses from the Vaikuntha Ammanai mourning chants, create immersive narratives of grief, nostalgia, and cultural inheritance.
Cyanotype and Mixed Media on Canvas
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
The exhibition also features Poigai, a sculptural series that imagines a personal sanctuary — a tranquil lotus pond — where submerged household objects become vessels of memory. A bicycle bearing a stack of paper pays quiet tribute to Ram’s father, anchoring the viewer in the deeply personal dimensions of the work.
Nagal IX, Mixed Media on Brown Paper Bag
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
Rather than offering resolution, Ram’s work inhabits the in-between: where home is not a fixed place, but a recurring emotional landscape — fragile, fragmented, and constantly revisited.
About the Artist
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
Lojithan Ram is a graduate of the Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts, University of Jaffna, and co-founder of We Are From Here, a collective amplifying stories from Colombo’s Slave Island, a community under threat of erasure. His work has been shown at prominent platforms such as the Chennai Photo Biennale (2023), Dhaka Art Summit (2023), Colomboscope (2024), Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2022), and the Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival (2025). Ram is also a recipient of the Prince Claus Seed Fund Award (2023) and the A4A Production Fund (2022).
Imahge Courtesy-
About PRSFG
Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery (PRSFG) is the result of a landmark merger between two of Sri Lanka’s most respected art institutions —Paradise Road Galleries, established in 1998 by Kalasuri Udayshanth Fernando, and Saskia Fernando Gallery, founded in 2009. Representing both modernist masters and a new generation of contemporary artists, PRSFG is dedicated to elevating Sri Lankan art on both the local and international stage.
Feature image- Abir India.
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