Ranga Jayaratne
Ranga Jayaratne is an expressionist oil painter. Her work is deeply inspired by emotion, movement, and the mystery of imagined spaces.
Ranga’s art explores landscapes and seascapes. She creates from feeling rather than direct observation – her work is shaped by memory, mood, and metaphor. While her paintings find their roots in nature, they drift into abstraction, where waves, skies, and coastlines blend with imagined forms. Birds often appear as quiet symbols of freedom, spirit, and solitude.
Ranga started her artistic journey in her mid-teens. During those years she fully immersed herself in painting, exhibiting, and working on commissions. A passion for theatre eventually took her creativity in a different direction. For more than two decades, Ranga dedicated her energies to teaching, directing, and producing stage works. In 2022, inspired by her move to Essex, Ranga found her way back to painting with a fresh sense of creativity. Ranga’s art is intrinsically personal. Through painting, she is able to explore and express herself – the process is a journey in itself.
Occasionally, Ranga takes a break from expressionism to paint British landscapes. In doing so, she is able to reset, reconnect with the outside world, and come back to her work with a fresh perspective. Essex is a place of deep inspiration and significance to Ranga. The peace and natural beauty of the area is fundamental to her creative output.
Ranga Jayaratne’s exhibitions include Echoes of Elsewhere (Solo Exhibition, Art Place, Chelmsford, December 2024), a collection of imagined seascapes and emotional landscapes exploring memory and internal stillness. In 2025, she was selected for inclusion in a curated group show at Peggy’s Art Gallery, Ireland. Ranga is an ongoing exhibitor at Artists at The Meadows Gallery, Chelmsford, a collective artist-run space. Notably, ‘Essex Life’ Magazine featured Ranga in their Local Legends series, acknowledging her contribution to the arts in Essex and beyond.
