Peter Ponnaiyah
The Cloud, 2026
Charcoal, ink pen, acrylic, brown paper, pencil on graft paper
Height 37 cm x Width 63 cm
Artist information
During the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, countless people lost their lives, while many others lost their identities and were forced into displacement. My childhood memories of war, together with the rural environment in which I grew up, form the foundation of this artwork. Experiences of loss, displacement, and unstable living conditions are central to its theme. This work serves as an attempt to remember those communities and the realities they lived through.
During the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, countless people lost their lives, while many others were displaced into lives without stability or identity. The memories of war that I experienced during my childhood, along with the rural environment in which I was raised, form the basis of this artwork. Experiences of loss, displacement, uncertainty, and the search for belonging continue to remain central themes within my artistic practice.
Before the intensification of the war, people in rural communities carried on their everyday lives peacefully within familiar surroundings. However, as the war escalated, many lost their homes, lands, identities, and sense of security, becoming displaced within their own country. Despite these painful and unstable circumstances, there remained a hope among people that one day they would be able to reclaim a meaningful and livable life again.
In this artwork, I have used delicate cloud-like forms layered across black fabric. These forms symbolize the fragile, unstable, and displaced conditions of life during the war. The drifting clouds reflect impermanence, displacement, and a life that is constantly moving. At the same time, they also evoke memories, absence, and emotional trauma.
Fragments of Us - Art Catalogue
Currently displayed at the Off the Kerb Gallery
Please contact us if you have any queries at mail@nul.org.au.
Peter Ponnaiyah
The Cloud, 2026
Charcoal, ink pen, acrylic, brown paper, pencil on graft paper
Height 37 cm x Width 63 cm
Artist information
During the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, countless people lost their lives, while many others lost their identities and were forced into displacement. My childhood memories of war, together with the rural environment in which I grew up, form the foundation of this artwork. Experiences of loss, displacement, and unstable living conditions are central to its theme. This work serves as an attempt to remember those communities and the realities they lived through.
During the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009, countless people lost their lives, while many others were displaced into lives without stability or identity. The memories of war that I experienced during my childhood, along with the rural environment in which I was raised, form the basis of this artwork. Experiences of loss, displacement, uncertainty, and the search for belonging continue to remain central themes within my artistic practice.
Before the intensification of the war, people in rural communities carried on their everyday lives peacefully within familiar surroundings. However, as the war escalated, many lost their homes, lands, identities, and sense of security, becoming displaced within their own country. Despite these painful and unstable circumstances, there remained a hope among people that one day they would be able to reclaim a meaningful and livable life again.
In this artwork, I have used delicate cloud-like forms layered across black fabric. These forms symbolize the fragile, unstable, and displaced conditions of life during the war. The drifting clouds reflect impermanence, displacement, and a life that is constantly moving. At the same time, they also evoke memories, absence, and emotional trauma.
Fragments of Us - Art Catalogue
Currently displayed at the Off the Kerb Gallery
Please contact us if you have any queries at mail@nul.org.au.
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