Iromie Wijewardena, a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, The Institute of Aesthetic Studies and Wilson College in USA, is a celebrated Sri Lankan artist. She commenced her painting career over four decades ago, and has had the honour of representing Sri Lanka at numerous international exhibitions in Germany, USA, Paris, Bangladesh, India, Cuba, Korea, Singapore, Bulgaria, Japan, former Yugoslavia and Dubai.

Her works displayed both nationally and internationally at an array of prestigious institutions, including the Lyudmila Zhivkova International Foundation Gallery in Sofia Bulgaria along with the works of great French masters and other internationally acclaimed painters.

In 1994, her traditional-styled painting ‘The Royal Procession’ was chosen for the permanent collection at the Josip Broz Tito Gallery in former Yugoslavia. This painting went on to be selected by the Yugoslavian government for a postage stamp, thereby allowing Iromie to make history by being the first Sri Lankan artist to have a painting depicted on a foreign postage stamp.

Having made her mark internationally, she was featured in the ‘ASIA WEEK’ magazine in 1999, while READERS DIGEST’ Asia edition reproduced her painting,’ Musicians’ depicting ethnic harmony on the back cover. FEMINA India featured Iromie’s paintings and the launch of her publication ‘Iromie Wijewardena Paintings’ on two of Femina’s editions . Two paintings of hers were acquired for the Presidential Collection in Sri Lanka. In 2001 and 2003, the President of Sri Lanka presented a painting of hers to the Government of India and to the Prime Minister of India subsequently. Iromie was selected by India to represent Sri Lanka at the SAARC ARTIST MEET in New Delhi. The painting executed at this meet was also exhibited at the ‘Celebration of Women by Women Artists’ in New Delhi, India.

In 2006, Iromie Wijewardena Paintings’ was published by Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha to celebrate four decades of painting. This same year she was elected Chairperson of the jury panel of the prestigious Twelfth Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka, Bangladesh—a loud affirmation of the place she occupies in Asian art. In 2020, Invited to exhibit at the Centennial BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FATHER OF THE NATION BANGABANDU SHEIKH MAJIBUR RAHAMAN “Mujib Shotoborsho” at the NATIONAL MUSEUM DHAKA BANGLADESH along with celebrated Bangladesh Artists.

The beauty of the female form is predominant in her recent works. Her portrayal of the serenity of women as mother, wife, homemaker or breadwinner, questions society as to how these women who perform such noble tasks could be abused, raped and made victims of violence. The use of oils, mixed media on canvas, conte crayon, acrylics, inks and chalks on paper depicts a multitude of textures using bright bold colour pallete, in her recent works. This use of a variant of textures attests to her artistic prowess and her ability to be fluid in her art forms.