Bio in brief
Jagath Dheerasekara is an Amnesty International Human Rights Innovation Fund Grant recipient. He was granted political asylum in France in the early 90s when he had to leave Sri Lanka due to political and human rights activism. On returning to Sri Lanka, Jagath began a career in telecommunications and his second spell of art in photography. As time went by, both his personal and commissioned work took an increasingly larger role. He settled in Australia with his family in 2008. Jagath’s multi-disciplinary work is chiefly informed by his personal and collective memory and the incidents of fragility of the principles of humanity. He has presented his work in a number of solo exhibitions and selected group exhibitions. His work is held in both institutional and private collections. Jagath is currently in residence at Sydney Living Museums. He holds a master degree in information technology and is a passionate facilitator for community cultural participatory art projects. Jagath lives and works on the land of Gundangurra, Dharawal and Darug peoples in western Sydney.
CV
Grants, residencies, awards and prizes
2018 Finalist in the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
2017~18 Right Here. Right Now residency with Urban Theatre Projects, Sydney
2015 Sharing the Seeds residency with Penrith City Council, NSW, Australia
2013 Finalist in the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize by the MGA Foundation
2013 Nominee to the 5th Prix Pictet Global Award
2012 Finalist in the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize by the MGA Foundation
2012 Finalist in the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
2011 Finalist in the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize by the MGA Foundation
2011 Finalist in the Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize
2010 Amnesty International Human Rights Innovation Fund Grant
2007 The Urban Changes with Goethe-Institut Mumbai, India
2007 Oasis of Silence residency with the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo and Goethe-Institut Colombo, Sri Lanka
2006 Imagine Tropics residency with Goethe-Institut Colombo, Sri Lanka
Solo exhibitions
2016 Family Keeps Us Going, The State Library, NSW, Sydney
2013 In the Outskirts of the Australian Dream, The Muse, Ultimo, Sydney
2013 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre, Tennant Creek
2013 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Queensland Centre for Photography, Brisbane
2013 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Manning Clark House, Canberra
2013 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, The Light Gallery, Centre for Creative Photography, Adelaide
2012 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Christ Church Cathedral, Darwin
2012 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Library, La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne
2012 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Customs House, Sydney
2012 Manuwangku, Under the Nuclear Cloud, Pine Street Gallery, Sydney
2011 Stars Sky Trees Breeze, ATVP Art Inc., Sydney
2006 Song of the Unsung, Foyles Gallery, London
2004 Camera Sketches, Stockholm
Selected group exhibitions
2022 Gathering Honey, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
2021 Hobart Current: Liberty, Tasmanian Museum and Gallery, Hobart
2020 Fisher’s Ghost Festival, Australia
2018 Another Day in Paradise, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Canberra
2018 Another Day in Paradise, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat
2017 Another Day in Paradise, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney
2015 Sharing the Seeds at the Penrith Regional Gallery, Penrith, Sydney
2015 All Station To, KUDOS Gallery, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney
2014 A selected group exhibition featuring 14 artists by PIX Photography Quarterly, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata.
2014 Street Exhibition, A selected group exhibition featuring 12 artists by PIX Photography Quarterly, Mumbai
2013 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2012 The Long and the Short of It, Projection, Federation Square, Melbourne
2012 Metamorphoses, Harold Peris Gallery, Lionel Wendt Art Centre, Colombo
2012 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2011 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2011 Contested Territory, ATVP Art Inc., Sydney
2009 Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize
2008 Urban Changes, Colombo
2008 Urban Changes, Banglore
2008 Urban Changes, Karachi
2008 Urban Changes, Delhi
2008 Urban Changes, Pune
2007 Urban Changes, Mumbai
2007 My Oasis of Silence, the Goethe-Institut, Colombo
2006 Imagine Tropics, the Goethe-Institut, Colombo
2003 Tones of Black and Shades of White, the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo
Performance
2020 Break the Cinnamon Branch. Campbelltown Arts Centre’s online platform
Festivals
2022 Vivid Sydney
2021 Hobart Current
2020 Fisher’s Ghost Festival, Australia
2017 Sydney Festival
2013 Head On Photo Festival, Sydney
2013 Obscura Photo Festival, Malaysia
2013 BIFB13, Ballarat
2012 Darwin Festival, Darwin
2012 Fisher’s Ghost Festival, Australia
2012 HeadOn Photo Festival, Sydney
2012 FotoFreo, Perth
2012 Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne
2009 Chobi Mela V International Festival of Photography, Bangladesh
2008 Singapore International Festival of Photography, Singapore
2008 Fisher’s Ghost Festival, Australia
Community cultural development / facilitation
2017 Mapparra with Information and Cultural Exchange, Parramatta
2016 Beauty (a project by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors)
2016 Map as Art: Calendars of Memory
2016 Map as Art: Auburn Cartographies of Diversity
2014 Digital Storytelling, Penrith
2013 Day and Beyond II in Sydney South West – skill development and exhibition programme
2008 Day and Beyond I in Colombo, Sri Lanka – skill development and exhibition programme
Collections
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
State Library of New South
Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW
Monash Gallery of Art, Victoria
Rockhampton Art Gallery (Queensland Centre for Photography collection)
Artist talks/interviews
2017 Canvas | FBI Radio, Sydney
2017 Artist Talk, Another Day in Paradise, Campbelltown Arts Centre
2013 Life Matters | ABC National Radio
2013 Artist Talk, Manning Clark House, Canberra
2013 Artist Talk, The Light Gallery, Centre for Creative Photography, Adelaide
2012 Artist Talk, FotoFreo Photo Festival | Divergence: Photographs from Elsewhere Midland Atelier, Perth
2012 Artist Talk, Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2012 Life Matters | ABC National Radio2012 In Conversation, Customs House, City of Sydney Library
Essays in images and words
2017 Catalogue essay, Another Day in Paradise (words)
2015 Society and Culture in South Asia, January 2015, Volume 1 (photos)
2013 Excerpt Magazine (photos)
2013 Verve Photo (photos)
2013 BURN Magazine
(photos)
2013 Timemachine Magazine (photos)
2012 Metamorphoses: the Sri Lanka Issue, PIX Photography Quarterly – Volume 6 (photos)
2008 South Asia Journal for Culture – Volume 2 (photos)
Book complication/editing
2017 Family Keeps Us Going, ISBN 978-0-646-97116-2
Published in academic journals/specialised publications
2021 Arts Hub
2017 Transcultural Imaginations by Religion, State and Society Network of University of Sydney
2015 Phenomenology of Youth Culture and Globalization: Lifeworlds and Surplus Meanings in Changing Times by Routledge -Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
2012 Artlink: Disaster and Fortitude – December
Education
Master of Science, Keele University, UK