International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Contemporary Art as a Medium for Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: An Analytical Study of Post-Conflict Sri Lanka

In post-conflict and disunited societies, peace and conciliation extend beyond the absence of violence and involve emotional mending, social trust, and the reconstruction of fractured collaborative individualities. Contemporary art is decreasingly honored as a significant artistic practice that engages with these complex processes. This paper examines the extent to which contemporary art has been used to make peace and conciliation, fastening on its abstract foundations, practical mechanisms, and socio-artistic impact inpost-conflict surrounds. The study uses a qualitative, interdisciplinary exploration methodology, employing critical literature review, visual and contextual analysis of artworks, and relative case study analysis. crucial sources include peace studies proposition, art literal education, exhibition attestation, and artist- led enterprise. named transnational case studies are examined with an in- depth focus on Sri Lanka to assess how contemporary cultural practices similar as installation, performance, participatory art and community- grounded systems address themes of trauma, memory, relegation and identity. As a example Chandraguptha Thenuwara through his groundbreaking “Barrelism” series, transforms military symbols such as the ubiquitous painted barrels used for roadblocks into recurring motifs that expose the normalization. The Sri Lankan case is anatomized to understand how artists and groups are responding to the heritage of civil conflict by creating indispensable spaces for dialogue, memory and intercultural engagement. The paper argues that while contemporary art can not serve as a stage-alone medium for conflict resolution or structural reform, it plays a pivotal reciprocal part in peacebuilding. By facilitating dialogue, challenging dominant narratives, and fostering empathy, contemporary art can be seen to have contributed to the convergence of emotional and artistic moments, even when they are often overlooked by formal political processes. The study concludes that integrating contemporary art into broader peacebuilding frameworks enhances the potential for sustainable and inclusive reconciliation. Keywords: Contemporary Art, Peacebuilding, Reconciliation, Conflict, Social Practice Art.