ABOUT ARTIST

Asmar Atham is an artist from Sammanthurai, Sri Lanka. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, India. Following his undergraduate studies, he continued his art education by pursuing a Master of Visual Arts degree at the Government College of Art & Craft, University of Calcutta, India.

Throughout his career, he has exhibited his work in prestigious galleries, biennales, artist

residency programs, and numerous group exhibitions. He is currently working as a lecturer in the Department of Visual and Technological Arts at the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Eastern University, Sri Lanka.

Artist Statement

“My work with rice husks explores the intimate relationship between nature, labor, and memory. As an organic material, rice husks are often discarded and overlooked, yet they carry the silent weight of agricultural heritage, sustenance, and the invisible hands that harvest them. In transforming these husks into visual forms, I aim to challenge traditional notions of value and permanence in art. Each piece speaks to the cycle of growth, decay, renewal, and the delicate balance between human effort and the earth’s offerings.

The tactile quality of rice husks allows for a deep engagement with texture and form. use them to create layered surfaces that evoke fields, maps, or fragments of time. Their muted tones and fragile structure become metaphors for forgotten rural histories and vanishing ecosystems. The process itself is meditative and slow, echoing the rhythms of farming life.

This series also draws from my cultural memory, where rice is more than food—it is ritual, economy, and symbol. By elevating a humble by product into an artistic medium, I invite viewers to reconsider what is deemed waste and what is considered worthy. Ultimately, my work honors the resilience of nature, communities, and the materials we often fail to see.”