“SHIRANKALA”: An exhibition of works by Shiranie Perera is on view through January 31 at Songbird Capital, 14 Nassau Street, on Saturdays from 1 to 6 p.m. or by appointment.

“Shirankala,” an art exhibition at 14 Nassau Street inside Songbird Capital, features 15 paintings by local artist Shiranie Perera. The show is on view through January 31 and is open to the public on Saturdays from 1-6 p.m. Private tours are available by appointment on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-6 p.m. Call (609) 331-2624 to schedule an appointment.

This exhibition, located on the first floor of the historic Bank & Trust Building, developed out of a fortuitous meeting between Perera and Jie Hayes, the founder of Songbird Capital. “When I walked into Shiranie’s gallery/studio in Lawrenceville one late Friday afternoon in September, my plan was a 15-minute visit,” said Hayes. That visit ended up being two and a half hours of what Hayes calls a “mesmerizing experience,” adding that “Shiranie’s paintings are captivating and liberating at the same time.”

Perera and Hayes developed a plan for bringing Perera’s work to Nassau Street, with the exhibition “Shirankala” installed in mid-November in the lobby of Songbird Capital. The paintings in the show are large and mid-sized acrylics on canvas featuring abstract works and landscapes. Perera’s color palette is saturated and varied, with the works in the show ranging from a serene sunrise in cool tones to a warm-hued graphic diptych rendered across two canvases.

As a self-taught artist who has cultivated her painting practice over the past six years, Perera said she has always been drawn to experimenting with color and texture. She pursued experiments in jewelry design and gardening, before adding painting to her repertoire.

“Mixing new colors has always amazed me, even as a child,” said Perera. “I remember being captivated using different proportions of yellow and blue to create different shades of green.”

Perera is inspired by the landscape and botanicals of Sri Lanka, where she was born and raised, as well as by painters like Henri Matisse, Mark Rothko, and Jackson Pollock. These inspirations are evident in the canvases she creates. “My goal is to uplift people through my paintings,” she said.

As a small business owner, in 2021 Perera founded Shirankala Art Gallery, located at 21 Craven Lane in Lawrenceville. The exhibition at Songbird Capital is titled “Shirankala” to introduce the public to a range of Perera’s work. Visitors are welcome to schedule a studio tour and gallery visit at Shirankala Art Gallery by calling (609) 331-2624.

To see more of Perera’s work, visit shirankala.com/gallery.