Meet Sharmini Wirasekara
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Sharmini Wirasekara began her professional journey as an accountant after completing her Accounting and Business degree. Following eight years in the business world, including two years in Holland, she relocated to Vancouver, Canada in 1988, where she began to fully explore her lifelong passion for the arts.
Seeking to develop her creative skills, Sharmini immersed herself in various artistic disciplines, taking courses in silk painting, jewelry making, fashion illustration, watercolor painting, paper making, stained glass, and bead embroidery. In 1991, she enrolled in a two-year Textile Arts program at Capilano College, subsequently specializing in silk painting for several years.
The pivotal moment in Sharmini’s artistic career came in 1997 when she participated in a workshop on off-loom Peyote bead weaving. This technique deeply resonated with her, leading her to teach herself additional bead weaving methods and ultimately transitioned completely from the business world to becoming a full-time artist focused on this medium.
Sharmini’s distinctive creations feature tiny cylindrical glass beads that interlock evenly when woven, resulting in fabric-like patterned surfaces that can be flat or dimensional depending on the technique employed. Each square inch of her work contains nearly 300 beads, making the process extraordinarily time-intensive. The interplay of light forms an essential element of her design approach, achieved by carefully selecting beads ranging from opaque to translucent, each with different light-reflecting qualities.
Drawing inspiration from elaborate patterns found in cultural designs, textiles, architecture, ancient artifacts, and the natural world, Sharmini creates intricate, ornate pieces that bridge her Sri Lankan heritage with contemporary artistic expression. Her work takes the form of wall art, sculptural objects, and unique jewelry pieces.
Through constant experimentation with techniques and materials, Sharmini aims to create work that is timeless and visually captivating while raising appreciation for contemporary beadwork—cultivating awareness of this visual art form that has traditions dating back millennia yet continues to evolve through modern interpretations.
Sharmini Wirasekara has exhibited in museums and galleries across many countries. Her works are held in private and public collections, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, as well as private collections throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, and Sri Lanka. She currently divides her time between Vancouver, Canada, and London, UK, continuing to exhibit, sell, and publish her work internationally.