Godwin Constantine

Sri Lanka

Godwin Constantine, born in 1964 in Sri Lanka, is an artist, critic and writer. He achieved his education from the MBBS University of Jaffna of Sri Lanka, a BA (Philosophy) University of London and a BA in Social Sciences from Open University of Sri Lanka. He is a founder member Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts and Chairmen of Theertha International Artists Collective from 2018 and Co-director – Theertha Performance Platform from 2015

He has performed and exhibited in many countries, with notable performances and exhibitions such as Victim  (Performance)– Theertha Performce Platform 2017; The clash of identity (joint performance – Theertha Performance Evening 2016; The painter (Performance)  – Colombo Art Biennale 2016; Imaging Peace – Red dot gallery (solo exhibition) February 2011; The Maze – a collaborative art exhibition November 2006; Images and Identity – An Event- interface between and art and literature – October 2005 – The Bowery Poetry Club, New York, USA; Urban and the Individual – November 2004 – Group Exhibition (curator and participant) Phenomenal space Gallery, Colombo.

Work Title:Identity

My performance was on the concept of identity. Identity is performed. We are not what we want to be. We are not what we ought to be. We are what others want us to be. We perform our identity in the way our identity group and the society expect us to be. Our identity script exists before us. The basic script of identity exists mainly as text. The text is usually accessed through news media. Mostly the bad side of the identity makes news. Often our idea of other’s identity is molded by this learning. Essentially what I wanted to convey was, you do not read me as I am but you read me as what you have come to know about my identity through the media.

I have worked on this theme of identity since 1997. I have recently published a paper on identity mainly focusing on performance and identity.