The Artist

Born in 1956, Jayantha Jinasena is a self-taught independent wildlife artist specialising in the illustration of birds and reptiles.  His paintings have been published in a variety of media, including scientific journals, newspapers and magazines such as Sri Lanka Nature, as well as calendars and greetings cards.  Jayantha is a lover of nature and an artist with a consummate eye for detail.  His depictions of natural subjects are always based upon actual specimens, yielding works of flawless draughtsmanship and scrupulous accuracy - a magical transferance of form onto paper, his brush a wand creating a virtual reality.

A series of his detailed snake drawings made from living snakes (including several highly venomous species) has received widespread critical acclaim.  His one-man exhibition Cameos from the Wild was held at the British Council, Colombo, in August 1997.  During the past few years he has focused largely on the illustration of Sri Lankan birds, paying attention to the minute detail for which he has become renowned.