Ushara Dilrukshan

About

Ushara Dilrukshan is a London based, Sri Lankan multi-media performance artist.

Her works tackle ideas of identity, womanhood and trauma explored through narratives. The work aims to open up questions and start discussions about experiences of similar narratives and journeys through life.

As an interdisciplinary artist, sound and performance are a centralised form.  Utilising poetry, field recordings, body and soul; further explored through video installation, publication and noise opera, she offers an insight into these themes.

‘The trauma of the past permeates my being like the scenes of roses clinging to the fabric of my memory, a haunting reminder of what was taken and what remains’ Anais Niin.

The various works; ‘Even God Can’t Save You Now; Phase I & Phase X’ and ‘After Hunger’; endeavours to utilise performance techniques expanded through literate works and immersive theatre to present a holistic examination of the aftermath of violent domestic and sexual assaults, encompassing the initial experience, subsequent metamorphosis, and culminating in 100 instruction scores designed to facilitate healing and resilience in trauma recovery. Inspired by artists such as Ana Mendieta, Luzene Hill, Yoko Ono and John Cage, her work pulls from fluxes movement, Classical music study and Surrealism.

Even God Can’t Save You Now: Phase I

Phase I is an 5-minute encoded audio and granular visual piece portraying stage one and exposing the inherent violence of domestic and sexual abuse.

After Hunger: (with Sonnie Carlebach)

A 5 act thespian noise opera, featuring tape loops, monologue, metal sculpture and compositional operatic instrumentation, interpreted from literate works. The project explores metamorphism akin to a caterpillars transformation, an intricate and complex process, paralleling the complex emotional journey of survivors who navigate a multitude of evolving feelings.

1. By the Light of the Moon
2. A Vengeful Bug
3. Hunted
4. Apathy in Blue
5. Once a Boy Always a Tree

Even God Can’t Save You Now: Phase X: 

Phase X presents 100 instructions scores promoting healing, rooted in spiritual techniques from Tara Ward’s “The Healing Handbook”, Hindu rituals and heavily inspired by the fluxus movement. Organised into chapters, these scores provide personal guides for survivors encouraging unique interpretations, acknowledging the extensive healing through 100 scores. Bound as a book, accompanied with visual works, the acts draw inspiration from minimalist performance artists like Joan Jonas and depicts her personal journey.