• Firi Rahman’s artistic capturing of Sri Lanka’s exodus

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Sri Lanka’s art world, Firi Rahman stands out as an artist with unique gifts. He is an artist with global experience, yet is deep in his exploration of local themes and issues. His delicately artistic pencil drawings, which were displayed at his spotlight at Cinnamon Life on 16 May, paint an intimate picture of an artist’s understanding of the struggles and dilemmas of the Sri Lankan people.

For Rahman, these works aren’t just commentary. They are a record of what Sri Lanka has been experiencing for decades. “Everyone I know is either planning to leave, already gone, or unsure whether to stay,” Rahman said. “Everyone is talking about taking their bachelor’s or their master’s abroad just so that they get a shot at leaving the country.”

This mass exodus is nothing new. Sri Lanka has faced a string of crippling crises in recent years. The aftershocks of a decades-long civil conflict continue to affect us even today. Then came the devastating Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 followed by the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, a pandemic, and an economic collapse that rendered basic necessities scarce and sent the cost of living skyrocketing. For many, emigration was no longer a choice – it was survival. Rahman’s work holds a mirror to this collective experience.

His drawings, predominantly in black and white, depict birds in cages, symbolising Sri Lankans feeling trapped inside their country. Rahman confessed that many Sri Lankans, especially younger Sri Lankans, feel like birds trapped in the cage of living in a country grappling with economic and social issues.

“There is one particular drawing in which there is a cage without a bird,” Rahman said. “It symbolises a country without people, especially talented young people whom the country can rely on.”

From Colombo to Paris

This quiet but powerful visual storytelling eventually caught the attention of art patrons both local and international. Rahman was awarded an artist residency in Paris, allowing him to spend some time immersed in Europe’s vibrant creative culture. 

“Through getting my residency, I have learnt a lot from the vibrant and diverse art culture in Europe,” Rahman said. “I have learnt new techniques that have helped me develop my art in ways I have not thought possible.”

The residency in Paris was not his first international exposure. He studied art at the City and Guilds at Manchester College in the United Kingdom (UK) and was able to turn his lessons into work that has been exhibited in several countries across the globe including India, the UK, and the United States of America. Rahman’s work is also owned by several private collections both in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Gallery walls and global eyes

Another pivotal force behind the artist’s rise is the Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery, one of Sri Lanka’s premier contemporary art spaces. Founded in 2009, the gallery has been instrumental in placing Sri Lankan art on both the local and international map. 

“Cinnamon Life and the Saskia Fernando Gallery gave me a platform when I didn’t even know I needed one. They made me believe that art could matter – that it could travel, that it could touch people,” Rahman said. 

Rahman continues to be hopeful of a budding partnership between Cinnamon Life and the gallery as well as the continued support of his patrons.

“I have been fortunate to meet and connect with so many art patrons as well as so many aspiring artists who come to observe and learn something,” Rahman said. “I only hope that my paintings can inspire and educate an audience, not just on the techniques and tricks of art but on the various social, economic, and political issues that plague Sri Lanka today.”

Rahman noted that it is the issues and complexities of Sri Lanka that make him want to continue to share his art with the world. 

Looking ahead

Today, Rahman continues to draw but with new opportunities on the horizon. His passion for exploring economic and social complexities in Sri Lanka has left a deep mark on art patrons and the public alike. The desire to leave the country is a desire that has been in the hearts and minds of many Sri Lankan citizens due to perceived social and financial merit. This is what Rahman hopes to shed light on.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop drawing this theme,” he said. “Because the leaving hasn’t stopped. If anything, it’s accelerating. And even those who don’t stay feel like they’ve left something behind.”

Still, he’s hopeful. He talked about young artists finding new forms of expression, about collectives forming, about the slow resurgence of civic engagement. “Art won’t fix everything,” he conceded. “But it can help us feel seen. And sometimes, that’s enough.”

Rahman’s journey mirrors that of many Sri Lankans today: Full of departures, yes – but also full of persistence, reflection, and resilience among the storms of life. Through pencil and patience, he tells their stories – one drawing at a time.

PHOTOS Apsara Rodrigo