The magic of being human lies in our ability to speak and communicate with one another. However, the languages we use can often feel restrictive, leading to failures in communication.
Living in a technologically advanced society, the evolution of language has continued to progress, helping to bridge gaps and reduce communication failures. At the forefront of this transformation are emojis. These small, colourful images have transcended their humble beginnings to become a universal language that enhances and enriches our conversations.
An innovative exhibition titled “Emoji – Meta Modernity,” by artists Teran Indika and Harshana Kumarasiri, offers a refreshing exploration of communication and artistic expression. Scheduled to open to the public at the Harold Peiris Art Gallery on August 16, this joint endeavour aims to challenge established notions of language and representation.
They aim to provoke conversations not only about the nature of language but also about the subjective experiences that inform contemporary life. In a Sri Lankan art context often overshadowed by capitalist narratives, Teran and Harshana seek to cultivate an appreciation for artistic expressions that encapsulate personal subjectivities rather than mere representations of external reality or cultural progress.
This week’s cover story is dedicated to the young artist duo, exploring their thought-provoking artistic journey.
History
Before exploring Teran’s and Harshana’s concept behind the exhibition, it is important to examine the story of emojis, which began in the late 1990s in Japan.
Shigetaka Kurita, a designer for NTT DoCoMo, created the first set of emojis as part of a project aimed at enhancing mobile communication.
This initial collection contained 176 icons, each measuring 12×12 pixels, designed to convey emotions, weather, and other everyday sentiments.
Kurita recognized a communication gap, understanding that text alone often fell short of capturing the nuances of human emotion.
These original emojis quickly gained popularity among Japanese mobile users, adding a layer of emotional context to text messages. By the early 2000s, other mobile carriers in Japan began to adopt and adapt these emojis, paving the way for their eventual global spread.
New form of language
At the core of this exhibition lies the critical examination of emojis as a new form of language that embodies both playfulness and emotional expressiveness. “Emojis are not just symbols but signify something deeper,” says Teran. “They represent a shift in how we communicate, transcending the limitations of conventional language, and offer a new way to express feelings that traditional letters may struggle to convey,” he added.
Since 2016, Teran and Harshana have collaborated closely and held several exhibitions, yet their concepts remain distinctly different and often contrary to one another. Their upcoming exhibition, “Emoji – Meta Modernity,” reflects this divergence beautifully.
While Teran focuses on the theme of emojis and presents them as a representation of reality, Harshana’s work embodies anti-reality, serving as a stark contrast to Teran’s artistic expression.
Teran emphasizes the excessive additions to language made possible by emojis, filling gaps that letters cannot bridge.
Anti-reality
He argues that language itself is inherently limited, and these limitations create communication gaps. In today’s contemporary world, emojis have emerged as supplements to traditional language.
For instance, the heart emoji effectively communicates love in a way that simply writing the word “love” cannot achieve.
In simpler terms, Teran seeks to illustrate how society was structured in previous eras through language, whereas contemporary society is increasingly defined by emojis.
Contrast
Teran’s work celebrates emojis as vibrant alternatives to letters, emphasizing their role as an emotional lexicon in contemporary society. “While letters can rely heavily on sound and meaning, emojis enhance communication by adding layers of emotional context,” he explains. By positioning emojis as an addition to the language of expression, he enables viewers to navigate the changing landscape of how we perceive and interact in today’s digital age.
His artworks are predominantly colourful, featuring thousands of overlapping emojis that employ a color scheme distinctly associated with emojis. This choice creates a psychedelic effect on the canvas and, as Teran explains, reveals his subjectivity through his personal journey in a vibrant and delicate manner. The artworks are visually appealing and captivate viewers.
In stark contrast, Harshana Kumarasiri adopts the role of a provocateur in his exploration of anti-reality. His paintings challenge the status quo of artistic representation, breaking away from traditional norms that have long dictated how art should convey reality.
“My approach seeks to satirize the representation of reality, allowing for an escape into a realm that prioritizes contemporary expression over conventional expectations,” he explains.
Harshana’s artworks are intentionally plain and almost empty. Each canvas features an identical “cut” in the middle, set against different background colours. He conceptualizes this cut as a representation of anti-reality, where he strips away both language and imagery while highlighting the “gap” in words that contributes to meaning.
“This concept emerged from a study circle we had with Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne about Structuralism. We learned that between each word lies a ‘gap,’ which signifies space without inherent meaning. However, this meaningless ‘gap’ — the silence between words — is what ultimately provides meaning to a sentence. My aim was to translate this meaningless ‘gap’ into an aesthetic form on the canvas,” he explains.
Through humour and distortion, Harshana’s work presents a comedic reflection on the complexities of postmodern life, showcasing the inherent absurdities and nuances of our everyday experiences. “Most of the time my art doesn’t make any sense and that created a sense of humour as well as a rage in viewers. I phrase it as the ‘bullshit’ effect, and that is exactly the intention of my artworks,” Harshana said.
Significant shift
Both artists, who share a history of successful exhibitions since their first collaboration in 2016 as university students, view “Emoji – Meta Modernity” as a pivotal moment in their artistic journey. Their previous exhibitions were dominated by themes rooted in capitalist systems and pop culture. Harshana often created art using polythene, intending to bring kitsch art into the gallery space while developing a new aesthetic.
However, their artistic expression underwent a significant shift in 2019 when they encountered the organic disruptor and contemporary thinker Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne. Under his guidance, they began studying structuralism for two years. With his mentorship, Teran was able to conceptualize emojis as the next level of language, allowing him to express his subjectivity more fully.
He noted that he had worked with emojis as early as 2018, merging them with primitive art; however, he never exhibited this work because he was dissatisfied with the outcomes. Through the studies conducted with Deepthi, they developed a new concept that reimagines emojis as a distinct language.
While many artists around the world have explored emojis in their work, this exhibition uniquely conceptualizes them as a new form of language, marking a significant development in their artistic practice.
Open invitation
In “Emoji – Meta Modernity,” Teran and Harshana redefine art and language, encouraging a reimagining of how we connect with one another in an increasingly digital and fragmented world. Emojis, as they present, are a gateway to exploring the complexities of human emotion and creativity, reminding us that even in silence, and within the spaces between letters, meaning and connection can flourish.
As they gear up for their preview on August 16, from 5 pm to 8 pm, they express a genuine invitation to art lovers and the public at large to immerse themselves in this new aesthetic experience.
Open to the public on the subsequent days — August 17 and 18 — from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm — this exhibition aims to invite viewers to engage with the artworks on a deeply subjective level.
The Youth Observer eagerly anticipates the impact of this evocative exploration as it unfolds at the Harold Peiris Art Gallery.
