{"title":"Arulraj Ulaganathan","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArulraj Ulaganathan (b. 1992, Haputale, Sri Lanka\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) is a visual artist working primarily in painting, drawing, and printmaking. Raised in the hill-country tea plantation region of Haputale, his practice is deeply informed by the lived experiences of the Malaiyaga Tamil community, particularly the histories of labour, displacement, and survival embedded within Sri Lanka’s colonial tea economy. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDrawing from personal memory and intergenerational narratives, Arulraj’s work reflects on ecological scars, systemic violence, and the quiet endurance of plantation life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArulraj received his Bachelor of Visual Arts (First Class) from Pondicherry University, India, and completed his Master of Fine Arts in Painting (First Class with Distinction) at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. His paintings often focus on portraits of tea plantation workers, especially women using a restrained, earthy palette inspired by the colours of tea, soil, and stained labour. He frequently incorporates tea powder and natural dyes into his surfaces, allowing material itself to function as metaphor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHis work has been exhibited internationally, including The Land Sign Back at Drawing Room London (2025), George Keyt Foundation \u0026amp; Sotheby’s Auction and Exhibition (2024)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWay of the Forest at 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi, UAE – 8th Edition of Colomboscope (2024), A Life in Tea (solo exhibition, 2024), Way of the Forest at Colomboscope Arts Festival (2024), and Total Landscaping at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (2024). Earlier exhibitions include the Kochi Muziris Students’ Biennale and group shows in the UK, India, and Sri Lanka. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlongside his studio practice, Arulraj has worked as an art educator and illustrator, and currently engages with teaching and community-based artistic initiatives across South Asia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"ceylon-tea-land-01","title":"Ceylon Tea Land 01","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring British colonial rule, Arulraj's ancestors were brought from South India to labour on tea and coffee plantations. Their bodies and their labour became the foundation upon which Sri Lanka came to be known across the world as “Ceylon.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDecorated teacups appear as symbols of authority and power. The comfort and refinement enjoyed by consumers conceal the hardship and deprivation of plantation workers. The sword bearing lion that emerges behind the teacup reflects the persistence of domination and class power long after the end of colonial rule.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arulraj Ulaganathan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48615005094043,"sku":null,"price":250000.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0613\/8675\/2155\/files\/1-CeylonTeaLand01__ArulrajUlaganathan_2025.jpg?v=1779339850"},{"product_id":"ceylon-tea-land-02","title":"Ceylon Tea Land 02","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring British colonial rule, Arulraj's ancestors were brought from South India to labour on tea and coffee plantations. Their bodies and their labour became the foundation upon which Sri Lanka came to be known across the world as “Ceylon.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe image of a child in his work does not represent the future in abstraction alone; it reflects his own childhood memories of growing up in a line room that was never truly theirs. Through this figure, he questions whether generational exploitation and inherited labour continue unbroken into the next century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arulraj Ulaganathan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48615020462235,"sku":null,"price":250000.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0613\/8675\/2155\/files\/2-CeylonTeaLand02__ArulrajUlaganathan_2025.jpg?v=1779340209"},{"product_id":"ceylon-tea-land-03","title":"Ceylon Tea Land 03","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring British colonial rule, my ancestors were brought from South India to labour on tea and coffee plantations. Their bodies and their labour became the foundation upon which Sri Lanka came to be known across the world as “Ceylon.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRailway tracks, highways, and religious structures appear as markers of “development.” Yet, his work repeatedly asks why the Hill Country Tamil community living at the margins of this development continues to be denied basic human living conditions, infrastructure, and dignity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arulraj Ulaganathan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48615046021275,"sku":null,"price":250000.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0613\/8675\/2155\/files\/3-CeylonTeaLand03__ArulrajUlaganathan_2025.jpg?v=1779341060"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0613\/8675\/2155\/collections\/1-_Ceylon_Tea_Land_01__Arulraj_Ulaganathan_2025.jpg?v=1779339511","url":"https:\/\/www.aprearthouse.com\/collections\/arulraj-ulaganathan.oembed","provider":"APRE Art House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}