This week we sat down with the very talented Anya Weerasinghe; a ballet dancer, an artist and a lawyer in the making, she’s quite the busy bee. Now she is also an entrepreneur thanks to Canvasory, which was her quarantine brainchild.
She can paint just about anything from portraits and iconic figures to abstract art and more! For inquiries, orders or even if you just want to brighten up your newsfeed go and follow @canvasory on Instagram. Trust me, you will be amazed.
This is always such an interesting question to answer, I guess, in a nutshell, I’m best described as “forever on the go.” I grew up and began schooling in Dubai and then moved to Sri Lanka in 2010. I then went to school at Ladies’ College, Colombo. I read for my LLB (hons) at the University of London, and simultaneously completed the Royal Academy of Dance qualifications, in classical ballet. I think it becomes pretty evident that I really enjoy pushing myself to try my hand at new things. So straight out of school, I handled a business/socio-economic column for LMD under the guidance of Hiran Hewavisenti, Editor in Chief. Currently, I work as a full time ballet instructor and teach dance at The Dance Lab and at Ladies’ College. Aside from ballet, I choregraph concerts for various institutions and am, simultaneously, in the middle of Law College.
I can’t honestly say that it has been, because ballet has always taken center stage in my life. I think before I started Canvasory, my art was in movement alone, and while I have always been passionate about expressing emotion and idea through the body in dance, doing so on a canvas, is fairly new to me.
In one sentence – Canvasory was the brainchild of my quarantine curfew. Being used to an absolutely packed schedule with back to back ballet classes, left me with very little to no time at all, when I wasn’t twirling on my feet or constantly on the go from one thing to another. If I wasn’t at the studio or Ladies’ College, you’ll find me either hiking, surfing, or spending any time I get with those important to me. So to suddenly have everything put on pause was a strange blessing in disguise. Since I was confined to my house, it gave me the new and rare opportunity to focus away from kinetic energy and to put all my emotion into art, a different kind of art – on a canvas.
The name Canvasory really stuck with me because of its simplicity and the fact that, to me, each new canvas represents a brand new blank page, a clean slate, a fresh start. I like believing we all have the freedom to wake up every day, pick up a fresh canvas, and make with it what we will – any colour, every colour! There’s something so freeing and invigorating about that.
I try to not limit myself in terms of what I paint. The varied customer orders really push me to try a plethora of different paintings, and I enjoy the challenge of each series I’ve had the chance to create. What’s life without a challenge?
While I didn’t foresee turning Canvasory into something like this, I am so overwhelmed and grateful for the opportunities that have come my way since. It really has opened my eyes to a whole other side of expressive art and creativity that I am so excited to explore – ranging from illustrations, to paintings, to collaborations etc. So I think more than anything, my plan is to grow with Canvasory and push myself to say yes to new ventures that come my way.
The world is your canvas, paint fearlessly! – Canvasory
We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
