Prasannajit De Silva Instant
Alongside his university teaching, Dr. de Silva is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society, a major educational charity that promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of the arts. He delivers illustrated talks to local Arts Societies across the UK, covering a diverse array of topics that extend far beyond his core research on colonial India.
Through his lectures and publications, he provides vital insights into how cross-cultural interactions in the 18th and 19th centuries shaped modern visual and social history. Academic Background and Expertise
These lectures, delivered to arts societies and other community groups, demonstrate Dr. de Silva's commitment to sharing his deep knowledge in an accessible and engaging way.
: A former Vice-Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University and professor of Geo-informatics.
Colleagues describe him as a "lawyer’s lawyer"—someone who can parse the fine print of a Companies Act while simultaneously advising on billion-rupee mergers. His expertise became particularly vital during Sri Lanka’s post-civil war economic opening (2010–2015) and again during the recent debt restructuring negotiations, where his understanding of fiscal law and central bank regulations proved invaluable. prasannajit de silva
The book explores how Europeans "went native" or adapted their identities while living in India. Rather than viewing colonial identity as rigid and static, de Silva uses paintings, prints, and miniatures to prove that the English identity was constantly in flux. By examining portraits of British officials, their native mistresses ( bibis ), and mixed-race families, he uncovers the fluid domestic realities that challenged rigid colonial boundaries.
Several core themes and methodological approaches consistently define Dr. de Silva's work.
Dr. de Silva developed his foundational expertise at the , where he completed his doctorate in 2007. His academic training centered on the deep examination of visual culture, particularly how art functions as a tool for political expression, personal identity, and social hierarchy.
A crucial, often overlooked dimension of de Silva’s work is his relationship to the Sinhala language. As a poet writing primarily in English, he occupies an ambivalent postcolonial position. Sinhala, the majority language of Sri Lanka, was also the language of Sinhala-only state nationalism (instituted in 1956), a policy that deeply alienated the Tamil minority and set the stage for the civil war. De Silva’s English is not a colonial imposition so much as a strategic exile. By writing in English, he sidesteps the chauvinistic purity of “pure Sinhala” while also refusing the melancholic ghetto of Tamil lament. His English is a creole of trauma—laced with Sinhala syntax, Buddhist philosophical undertones, and the rhythms of everyday speech. Alongside his university teaching, Dr
: The central role of visual culture in developing the idea of India in British discourse.
Based on his diplomatic history, Prasannajit De Silva specializes in:
: His research often focuses on "crossing over" and hybridity, examining paintings of mixed-race families and the physical arrangements of bungalows to understand historical patterns of intimacy.
for the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) Through his lectures and publications, he provides vital
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: Served as an Associate Lecturer in the History of Art.
Following his doctoral research, de Silva established himself as a versatile educator in the United Kingdom. He specializes in lecturing on 18th- and 19th-century British art, bringing critical historic perspectives to modern students. His notable teaching appointments include:
English
