Artist Statement – Blue Mythos
Shakya Tennakoonmudali
Blue Mythos is an ongoing body of work that explores belief, perception, and shared human consciousness through mythological and spiritual figures rendered in blue. The choice of blue is intentional, it is not symbolic of divinity alone, but of distance, reflection, and neutrality. Blue allows these figures to exist outside fixed religious identity and enter a more universal psychological space.
In this series, figures such as Rama, Buddha, and Jesus are placed within the landscape of Varanasi, a city that holds centuries of layered belief, ritual, science, and philosophy. By situating different spiritual narratives within a single cultural geography, the work questions how belief systems overlap, contradict, and coexist. Rather than presenting these figures as objects of worship, they are portrayed as observers, silent witnesses to time, impermanence, and human ritual.
The paintings are deliberately restrained. Faces are often partially hidden or turned away, encouraging the viewer to project meaning rather than receive it. What we think we see is never absolute; it is shaped by memory, culture, and personal belief. In this way, the work reflects both scientific understanding — that perception is a construction of the mind — and philosophical inquiry into truth and illusion.
An augmented reality (AR) layer accompanies each painting. This digital extension does not aim to overpower the physical artwork, but to quietly reveal another dimension, subtle shifts, hidden text, or symbolic elements that emerge only when viewed through a device. The AR component acts as a metaphor for perception itself: unseen layers exist at all times, but only become visible when we change the way we look.
Coming from a background in illustration and commercial visual communication, this body of work represents a deliberate shift, a movement from solving briefs to asking questions. Blue Mythos is not about offering answers or asserting belief, but about creating a space where science, mythology, technology, and personal interpretation intersect.
Ultimately, these works invite the viewer to pause and reflect, not on who these figures are, but on how we see, what we believe, and whether what we perceive is truth, memory, or projection.
ANIMA
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
DHARMA
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
ŚŪNYATĀ
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
2026
55 × 43 inches
Mixed media on canvas with Augmented Reality
