In an industry often associated with rebellion, trend cycles, and western aesthetics, Uditha Rangana's work is archaeology. Instead of importing styles from abroad, he digs deep into Sri Lanka’s own artistic past and resurrects it — one tattoo at a time.

Based in Colombo and founder of Soul Ink Studio, over the past fifteen years, he has studied ancient Sri Lankan visual culture — particularly the liyawel (flowing vine motifs), celestial deities, temple guardians, and fresco patterns rooted in Anuradhapura and Sigiriya’s artistic traditions. Through Uditha's art, these designs, that once adorned the walls of caves and temples in the 5th century BC, are reimagined and revived on the human body.

Uditha's tattoos are rich with symbolism. From the protective Naga Murugan to subtle depictions of the liyawel, every line is placed with the intention of aligning the body with ancient energy systems. And unlike mass-produced designs circulating online, his tattoos are one-of-one compositions — often built from scratch through detailed conversations with his clients.

While Uditha is fluent in fine line and micro-realism, his distinguishing feature is fusion. His tattoos often look minimal at first glance, but upon closer inspection, reveal deeply layered references to Kandyan art, Buddhist symbolism, and agrarian ritual forms. His rendition of a traditional Sri Lankan demon mask is broken down into a spiralling, abstract pattern. A curl here signifies protection, a line there evokes harvest rituals.

Soul Ink Studio has grown into one of South Asia’s few hubs specialising in traditional Sri Lankan tattooing. Uditha is mentoring a new generation of artists who are rooted in local design histories. Tattooing in Sri Lanka is largely unregulated and remains stigmatised in parts of society. But change is coming. As more young people embrace tattoos as self-expression and cultural memory, Soul Ink is leading a renaissance. He’s even considering travelling and opening satellite studios abroad to share Sri Lankan design with global audiences.

Pinterest designs and superficial aesthetics dominate our tattooing culture, but Uditha Rangana is proof that depth, history, and identity still matter. Sri Lanka’s ancient stories live again — this time, on the body.

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