The midweek A Portfolio sees us looking at the works of the exciting painter, Shyama Golden. Her recent show at Harper's caught our attention, works that had these elements of the Los Angeles landscapes and, as the gallery notes, the "figure of the yakka in Sri Lankan folklore."
I started oil painting at the age of 12, but after getting a BFA in graphic design, I spent a decade as a designer and illustrator during which I exhibited my paintings sporadically. By 2020 my focus had shifted to a full-time commitment to painting. Despite the lack of traditional artistic mentorship early on, I found a lot of pleasure in design and many of the skills and sensitivities I picked up along the way improved my painting in unexpected ways. The path I’ve taken has led me to the development of a narrative visual language which continues to evolve over time.
I am based in Los Angeles, and my current works populate a parallel dimension with a cast of characters which include vine-covered trees suggestive of human archetypes, Sri Lankan devil dancers dressed as Yakkas who take part in exorcist rituals, and self portraiture. The work is intended to appear theatrical, reflecting on an awareness of the social performance necessitated by our relationships with each other and the drama of everyday life. —Shyama Golden
