Bio

Krishan Rajapakshe (they / Them). A visual artist and designer. Practitioner of Graphics, comics and Illustration. As an artist, Krishan’s artistic practices are negotiated by producing counter-narrated Images and translating them into publishing formats. They are investigating how to decode biography and micro socio-political chronologies into new image production.

Their work was published and shown in documenta fifteen (foundationClasscollective), Savvy contemporary, Lighthouse gallery in Kampot, Cambodia, Werkstard Gallery in Berlin, Forum der Kunst in Heidelberg, Satay in Kathmandu, Nepal, JDS in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Also several self-published comic and graphics zines on exiled experience. “Exit, Transite and Existence”, Decolonizing alphabet (2021), “BIPOC Art Avenger” (in collaboration with art historian Rena Onat), and Oury Jalloh – Cell 05 (soon to be published as a comic zine).

Krishan is energetically involved in collaborative projects. They are one of the founding members of the Zick magazine collective – a printed magazine published in Dresden and in the Colorful Voices – a platform where they create comic visual narratives associated with migration.

Art and design education is also part of Krishan’s practice, which helps them reflect on their artistic approach. Since 2019, They are part of the *foundationClass, where they teach. In 2021-22 They taught as a guest professor of drawing at the Weissensee Art Academy, Berlin. Between 2016/19, Krishan was an active member of The Real-Lab, a long-term inter-disciplinary artistic research project regarding: ” What is the home Aesthetic of people on the move ” at Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg.

Krishan graduated with Visual communication from Visual Arts & Design and Performing Arts, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

Exhibitions

2012 –

2013 –

2014 –

2015 –

2016 –

2017 –

2018

Get in touch

Some Talks and Panels

The visuality of the political mobility – Content, The fusion festival / 2022 (talk)

Why self-publishing matters – Tamil book fair, Berlin / 2022/ (Panel)

nGbK Lecture: Art & Collectives: What’s Next after Kassel? – Strategies in the Art Field / 2022 (Panel)

KOSMOS² LABOR / 2016 (Artist talk)

The title of the artist talk series KOSMOS² recalls the famous “Kosmos lectures” by Alexander von Humboldt. During the 19th century, after his colonial journeys, Humboldt held these lectures at the Singakademie zu Berlin – today’s Maxim Gorki Theater – The series curated by Grada Kilomba

“I know this bird can fly” – Pädagogische Hochschule, Heidelberg. 2015 (Comic performance)

Teaching / Worshop