A painter and sculptor par excellence, Sangabo has the rare ability to capture the very essence of Sri Lanka. His signature technique of using palette knives portrays rustic rural life and culture of the country whilst offering the viewer a glimpse of nature.

Actively engaging in the fields of fine arts and differently-abled academia for almost 4 decades, Sangabo attempts to create a platform to use art as a mechanism of communication that transcends societal and cultural barriers.

His passion for art was realized at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka (1972 – 1976). Thereafter he went on to hold many solo and group exhibitions. Sangabo’s interest in reaching out to the differently abled and his inherent talent saw him being entrusted with many special projects which he completed to perfection. They include:

  • A series of sculptures in 1984 of the 1906 General Meeting of the Municipal Council at the Old Town Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Being appointed Chief Artist of the National Education Institute, Sri Lanka in 1987
  • The position of Artist-in-Charge for the Commissioning of the Sri Lanka Room at the World Health Organization, WHO/SEARO, New Delhi, India in 2013
  • The position of Chief Artist at the Sign Language Glossary on SRH, Ministry of Social Empowerment and Welfare and UNFPA in 2016

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

  • 1995, 1996, 1998, 2011 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’ National Art Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • 2002, 2005, 2016- ‘Nihanda Jeewa’ Lionel Wendt, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • 2003 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’ Felix Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
  • 2003 – ‘A Series of Enlightenment’, Reinickendrof, Berlin, Germany.
  • 2005 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’ Nawa Jeewana, Tangalle, Sri Lanka.
  • 2006 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’ Alliance Françoise de Colombo, Sri Lanka

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

  • 2003 – ‘Asia Pacific 2003’, Germany and Sweden
  • 2008, 2012 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’, New Delhi, India.
  • 2014 – ‘Nihanda Jeewa’, Haryana, India.

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 1987 – Chief Artist, National Education Institute, Sri Lanka.
  • 1987 – Chief Artist representing Sri Lanka, World Educational Workshop
  • 2004 – International Quality ERA Award – Gold, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • 2004 – Worldwide Quality XXI Century, Argentina.
  • 2005 – Present – Stamp Designer for the Sri Lanka Philatelic Bureau
  • 2006 – Kalapathi National Award, Sri Lanka.
  • 2015 – Kalabhooshana National Award, Sri Lanka.