Public Talk/ Lectures
The Lotus and the Rose: Tracing the Female Form in 18th to 20th century Buddhist Murals
Hasini Haputhanthri
Independent Researcher
Her talk traced how the female form evolved in temple art in the southern littoral of Sri Lanka. Her research covers murals from 16 temples, from Colombo to Mirissa, painted from 18th to 20th centuries. She shared images and emerging observations that reflect the social and political changes the island experienced. This research was part of a larger research project, Shared Sanctities, that explores confluence in religious art and architecture.
06 June 2025
Post Colonial: Revisit
Dr Mahendran Thiruvarangan
Senior Lecturer, Department of Linguistics and English, University of Jaffna.
2 April 2025
Problem in conceptualising “the history of Sri Lanka”
John Rogers
United States Director, American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies.
19 November 2024
“Jaffna Town in Dutch Maps”
R. Mayooranathan
Architect & Board member of Noolaham Foundation, Jaffna.
Using the field of cartography, architect R. Mayooranathan discussed the Dutch maps and how they depicted Jaffna town. It provided a fresh perspective on Jaffna urban layout, including changes and the colonizers’ ideological currents and visualization methods.
09 October 2024
“A Comparison between Indian and Chinese Buddhist Iconography: Gender Transformation of Avalokitesvara”
Huang Lele
Research Centre for Buddhist Texts and Arts, School of Foreign Languages, Perking University.
22 January 2024
“Studying Popular Culture: Tamil Dance in Sri Lanka”
Dr. Kristen Rudisill
Professor (Department of Popular culture, Bowling Green State University)
20 December 2023
“Crossing the Ram Sethu: Historiography, Literature, and the Ramayana today”
Dr. Justin W. Henry
Assistant Professor (Department of Religious studies, University of South Florida)
08 December 2023
“Echo of Nothing”: a critique of the aesthetic of violence”
Dr. Deepak Prince
Anthropologist & Assistant Professor (IIIT Delhi)
26 June 2023
“Exploring Community and Identity: A Role for Archaeology”
Dr Gill Juleff, University of Exeter, UK & Prof Ruth Young, University of Leicester, UK.
13 December 2021
- Short abstract: In this talk we will think about the ways in which archaeology is relevant to different communities, and how it can contribute to the development and expression of identities. We will be considering how archaeologies can contribute to understandings of human activities from the last 500 years, with a focus on the everyday lived experience.
“Discussion”
Nadaraj (Artist) & Prema Revathy (Activist)
25 June 2019
“Festival as Theatre: Interpreting Ritual Tradition of Tamil Society”
Dr. S. Karmegam
Assistant Professor [PG & Research Department of Folklore,St. Xavier’s College (autonomous), Palayamkottai]
27 May 2019
“Artist as Fieldworker”
Associate Professor Sonal Khullar (University of Washington)
15 August 2018
“My Novel, My Story”
Senthuran Varatharajah
27 February 2018
Artist Talk
Syd Burce Short Joe (Australian Indigenous Artist)
25 May 2017
Artist Talk
Associate Professor Ifthikhar Dadi (Cornell University of New York)
06 December 2016
“Water Gardens of Sri Lanka”
Dr. Shanthi Jeyawardena
11 November 2016
“Trends in Art historiography of Contemporary Sri Lanka”
Dr. Shanthi Jeyawardena
11 December 2016
“Reflection on a Diary: The Art of Method”
Professor Kamala Visveswaran (University Texas, Austin)
11 June 2014
“Art as Resistance”
Prof. Chandra Gupta Thenuwara
28 August 2013
“Visual art in Jaffna in 1980’s & 1990’s”
Kamala Vasuki & Arunthathy Ratnaraj
15 August 2013
“War & film”
Prof. Nalin Jeyasena(Miami university)
26 July 2013
“Making homes & engagements in art practice in Tamil Diaspora”
Prof Anna Laine(University of Stockholm, Sweden)
24 July 2013
“29 Days in Jaffna”
Muhanad Cadar
02 June 2013
“Occupying the space in between”
Ms. Nina Mangalanayagam
25 April 2012
“Modernity in Tamil and Little magazine movement”
“Ananda Coomarasamy: Life and concepts”
22, 23 October 2011
“Troskyism and Aesthetics”
Banini Vijaya Sriwardena
28 September 2011
“Documentary films: A short introduction to ‘Patricia Aufderheide.”
Aaron Burton
21 September 2011
“My photographs”
Menika van der Poorten
20 April 2011
“Layers of Anxiety”
Prof. Jegath Weerasinghe
27 April 2010
“On curation”
Ms. Sharmini Pereira
2010
“Early soap operas in Rupavahini”
Mr. Parakrama Niriella
2009
“An outline of contemporary architecture in Sri Lanka and its inspiration on my works”
Arch. T. Anjalendran
16. July 2004
“Art of 90’s in Sri Lanka”
Prof. Jegath Weerasinghe
2003
“Theatre: My experiences”
A.C.Tarcisius
2002
“Still they come from Jaffna”
Ernest Thalayasingam MacIntyre
1997