Lankan born and past pupil of Colombo International School, Geshany Balder is a full-time and fully fledged artist who believes in expressing her art to the public. Her learning and experience came whilst completing her university degree in Germany for six years. Geshany moved back to Sri Lanka five years later after her degree and started work in an advertising agency. Giving up her post at the agency after three years, she decided to focus more solely on her artwork and paintings. For as long as she can remember, art has always been her one big passion. About three years ago, she had an exhibition at the Ruby Studio Gallery in Ward Place, Colombo 7. “Neo-surrealism”, which was the title of her exhibition, was an incorporation of Greek mythology with a touch of Hinduism. One could also find Geshany’s artwork at companies such as WSO2, China Doll, Levels, and Clique. Gifting her artwork to friends and fans, she established a rather popular image, which still attracts people from the entire world. Recently, her third solo exhibition gathered around 100 guests – from art to music and wine lovers, who visited the opening reception of “30” – which was held from 15-20 December, 2018. According to Geshany, the story behind her exhibition being titled “30” expresses a collection of memories, moments, and experiences that are connected to her life. All her collections were made last year and were displayed at Hatch Works, located in Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha, Colombo 1. Relating her artwork to writing a daily journal, she says her feelings are expressed through her art. Whether it be a euphoric event or something that has affected her personally, she never fails to paint a picture of it. Explaining to her audience that art could teach one a lesson for the future, she learnt to overcome obstacles with the help of her art. Each of her pieces has a different story. For example, one which is titled “Glory” was a very personal piece. She went on to say that at the time, she was lost spiritually. And once she found God and began praying, she was inspired to create this piece and made her understand the beauty that came out of it. Another one titled “Selfish” was based on her journey through the hardships she faced in her life and how she learned to focus on herself; finding a path, but not showing emotions of resentment. “Mine”, which is an acrylic on canvas, portrays the concept of the beauty between two minds and two souls. “To be a successful artist, a key factor is to be you”, she says. “Love yourself, and try not to compare or imitate other artists. Make art that inspires you, instead of trying to please other people, and be true to yourself.” [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18364,18363,18361,18360"]