Bandu Manamperi received his education at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. A member of Theertha International Artists’ Collective, he belongs to a generation of radically active young artists who find inspiration within the present Sri Lankan social and political context. His sculptures and installations take up the theme of commercialization and commoditization of cultural symbols in Sri Lankan society. He has also worked on the theme of war and its effects on society through his performance art. At present, he lives and works in Bandaragama, Sri Lanka.
I don’t think I am criticizing society, only observing it. I am observing how the mechanisms of the market economy are transforming age-old cultural concepts into easily saleable commodities. The Buddha is one such concept that is transformed by the market, the politics of power and capital, and at the end is deprived of style and identity.
