Dame Shalini Amerasinghe Ganendra DSG is a cultural entrepreneur and scholar recognised for inter-disciplinary exploration that has increased focus on creative practises from under-recognised regions. Such programming, including the landmark,city wide cultural marquee, ''Gallery Weekend Kuala Lumpur'', which she founded in 2016, has given exposure to regional art movements and eco-systems. The marquee has been described as a "pioneering culture-building network."
Through eponymous cultural organisation ''Shalini Ganendra Advisory'', she developed multi- and inter-disciplinary modules to enable and galvanise cultural connections ('culture of encounter'), for over two decades. The centre hosted residencies, exhibitions, talks, workshops at site and externally. The seminal public program, ''Vision Culture Lectures''.
was recognised by UNESCO Observatory as distinguished case study through its publication, Arts in Asia 2016.
She commissioned one of the earliest green buildings in Malaysia, in 2011 the award winning Gallery Residence, (also known as the Ganendra Art House). The project was twice nominated for the Aga Khan Architecture Award and continues to be studied as an ideal example of tropical green architectural build exemplifying innovation and economy.
Dame Ganendra was the first Sri Lankan art expert and collector to be appointed to the Tate Gallery (UK) Acquisitions Committee (SAAC) in 2017 and has served on numerous judging and award panels including for the
National Museum of Asian Art
The National Museum of Asian Art consists of the Smithsonian Institution’s two Asian art galleries, the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which are situated in connecting buildings on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. ...
, Smithsonian Institution and Commonwealth Art Award. She introduced contemporary Sri Lankan and Malaysian artists to international audiences during New York's Asia Week 2006 -2008 and 2015 through a series of exhibitions: ''Serendipity'' and ''My Country''.
She has published widely, including on early colonial photography, modern and contemporary art, craft with specific focus on cultural objects as agents of identity narratives.
In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (; ) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope.
The order is one of the five Papal order of knighthood, orders of knighthood of th ...
by HH Pope Francis and the Holy See, Vatican State (DSG/Dame). The Order of St. Gregory the Great was established as the last of the Papal Knighthoods (1831) and the only one to admit women.
Education
She attended the
National Cathedral School
National Cathedral School (NCS) is an independent Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Episcopal private school, private day school for girls in grades 4–12 located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, ...
,
Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
and
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
. The Academy made her a Harkness Fellow in 2007. A fourth generation
Cantabrigian
__NOTOC__
''Cantabrigian'' (often shortened to ''Cantab'') is an adjective that is used in two meanings: 1) to refer to what is of or pertaining to the University of Cambridge, located in Cambridge, United Kingdom;http://www.merriam-webster.com/d ...
, she read law at
Trinity Hall, Cambridge University and was featured as one of the THWomen40 prominent women in profile.
[THWomen40 Profiles, Trinity Hall Cambridge University, https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/about/thwomen40/profiles/]
Personal life
Shalini Amerasinghe Ganendra is married to
Dennis Ganendra, and the couple have three children. She is the grand-daughter of
Samson Felix Amarasinghe and grand-niece of
Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe
Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, CCS (18 March 1913 – 4 December 1980) was a Sri Lankan diplomat and civil servant. He was High Commissioner to India and concurrently Ambassador to both Nepal and Afghanistan (1963–1967) and Permanent Secretar ...
and from her maternal side, the grand-niece of
Justin Pieris Deraniyagala
Justin Pieris Deraniyagala (20 July 1903 – 24 May 1967) was a Sri Lankan painter. Deraniyagala was a founder member of the Colombo '43 Group of Sri Lankan artists and along with Lionel Wendt, George Keyt and Harold Peiris.
Born on 20 July 190 ...
.
References
External links
Shalini Ganendra Advisory
Gallery Weekend Kuala Lumpur
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ganendra, Shalini
Living people
Art curators
Year of birth missing (living people)