Art can set you free

Pradeep Ruwanpura was born in Sri Lanka where he lived for most of his life. He describes growing up always wanting to be an artist, to feel and experience the freedom of art. “I used to be very good at art in school. Nevertheless, during the 80s and 90s in Sri Lanka, no parent wanted their child to end up as a professional artist. The contemporary society expected ‘more’ from a child. Consequently, I ended up being a dental surgeon.”

As a young dentist, Pradeep had the great privilege of going to Japan to read for