Anushiya Sundaralingam
“I would know peace is real because the in-between spaces I explore in my work — the tension of being between cultures and memories — would no longer feel like a site of friction. The vessels of identity I paint would no longer look like they are dripping or dissolving under pressure. Instead, I would feel a sense of structural permanence. The air would lose its weight, and the vertical lines that often ground my work would feel like steady anchors rather than traces of something falling away. The piece shown at the University of Atypical, with its powerful arcing lines and internal tension, serves as the perfect foundation. While that work captures the resilience of the human spirit in fragmented crossings, the peace version would evolve this form into a completed home — a structure that has finished its crossing and is now firmly rooted. In this image, I am moving within the arcs of the vessel. I am not documenting a struggle or archiving a memory; I am inhabiting the structure. I am tracing the bold, vibrant lines with my hands, no longer worried about the drips or the fragments of the past. I am standing still in the centre of the composition, enjoying the stillness of a form that is finally at rest.
Those who have experienced the shattering of identity would recognize the peace in these reassembled lines. Others would perceive the image as a place of refuge. They would see the arcing forms not as a ribcage, but as an open hand or a protective canopy. They would respond to the warmth of the palette — the magentas and golds — and feel invited to occupy the space within the lines, finding their own sense of balance in the composition.”
Anushiya Sundaralingam is a Belfast-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the intersections of cultural heritage, displacement, and identity. Born in Sri Lanka and practicing in Northern Ireland since 1998, her work serves as a vital bridge between the South Asian diaspora and contemporary global discourse. A graduate of the University of Ulster, Anushiya’s foundations in technical printmaking have evolved into a sophisticated mastery of mixed media, textiles, and sculpture. Her recent expansion into site-specific performance art has been featured at internationally recognized venues, including the Ulster Museum and Saskia Fernando Gallery.
“Remains”, acrylic on canvas (95x125cm)