Rebirths

With each new incarnation, Shyama Golden becomes more herself.

By Texas Tech University

November 29^th, 2023

With its long, pointed face; razor-sharp teeth; and thick, black fur, the Mahasona Yakka is one of the most feared characters in Sri Lankan mythology – the great graveyard demon.

Artist Shyama Golden often paints it as a version of herself.

But she’s no demon. In her work, it suggests the old ideas and versions of ourselves that must die for rebirth to happen – something Shyama’s own life has proven again and again.

“A lot of people have a very fixed self-image,” she says. “I think it would be helpful to be able to imagine that you can choose to recreate yourself and your life, if you want to.”

Shyama has always been a little bit different than those around her. Her parents came to the United States for college, so she was born and raised in Texas. But when she was 12 years old, they sent her to Sri Lanka to live with her uncle and aunt’s family while they sought a way to join her. The plans didn’t pan out, and Shyama returned after two years, but it would prove a formative time in her life.

After attending Texas Tech to study graphic design, she soon worked her way onto the staff at Texas Monthly, an admittedly quick ascent for a young artist. But, realizing she did her best work under her own direction, she switched to freelance illustration.

She began to gain fame in that medium as well, even having her work displayed in New York City’s Times Square. And then, she decided to change course again. She transitioned into painting exclusively, even though the world of fine art felt entirely foreign to her. To help her work through her own doubts about the move, she began painting spirits from Sri Lankan mythology, called “yakkas.”

“These paintings are about my personal demons and self-doubts,” she notes. “They might seem esoteric and so specific to my background and culture, but they’re also something so universal that I think a lot of people can relate.

“I hope it helps people see the world differently. We all get so stuck in our own heads and our own perspective that sometimes we miss the magic that’s everywhere.”