Subadrage Nuwan Nalaka

Subadrage Nuwan Nalaka (b. 1981, Delgoda, Sri Lanka) is an artist and lecturer whose practice reflects a versatile command of diverse media, including tempera, watercolour, Indian ink, and wash techniques. His work engages Buddhist and Hindu philosophical themes through layered visual metaphors, iconography, and recurring floral and vegetal motifs. Influenced by folk and traditional painting practices from both Sri Lanka and India, Nalaka’s visual language moves fluidly between bold, calligraphic gestures and finely detailed passages. His art is characterized by bold colors, dynamic compositions, and symbolic imagery that reflect his deep engagement with social and cultural narratives.

Nalaka completed his BFA at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, and his MFA at Rabindra Bharati University also in Kolkata in 2013. He has exhibited widely across India and Sri Lanka. Nalaka participated in a group exhibition at Aicon Contemporary in 2024. He as won multiple awards such as the Best Watercolor Painting Annual Exhibition at Rabindra Bharati University in 2003, Multiple First Place National & School-Level Art Competitions in Sri Lanka from 1998–2001, Bhunath Mukherjee Memorial Award & Prize in 2014, and more.

Subadrage Nuwan Nalaka lives and works in Kolkata, India.