「與土地對話的藝術家：從斯里蘭卡到九份山城的旅人」
Ilham Sanoon踏上九份那條濕潤蜿蜒的石階時，霧氣仍未散去。山風裡裹著潮味，遠處的海與天無聲相擁，像是一幅墨灰潑灑的水墨畫。
這位來自斯里蘭卡的藝術家、企業家、父親與夢想者，不再是為了生意而來。
這是他第21次來到台灣。前18次，他說，都是為了科技、為了客戶、為了完成一筆筆的跨海訂單。他曾是斯里蘭卡最重要的資訊科技供應商之一，手握Kingston、BenQ等超過20個品牌的代理權。在企業世界中，他是規劃未來的專家，每一步都精準而有力。
但今天，他站在九份的山城美館，身旁不再是銷售報表，而是一幅幅密密麻麻的線條畫作。他說，他的轉變，是偶然的。
「我只是在桌上看到一張被揉爛的紙，就拿筆隨意塗起來。那天，我畫出了我人生第一幅作品。」
他稱自己是「意外成為的藝術家」。從科技人轉向藝術創作者，不是逃避，而是一種回歸。他發現自己真正渴望的不是科技的精準，而是線條的自由。
Ilham的作品全是黑與白，筆觸細若髮絲。每一幅畫從點到線、從皺摺到節奏，全都來自他對世界的觀察與冥想。對他而言，黑白不只是色彩的選擇，而是一種人生觀，簡約而深邃，繁複卻不雜亂。
從科技島到山城：台灣的再訪，不再是生意
Ilham第一次來台灣是在1997年。他仍記得那年台北的便利、南部的熱情與山海之間的氣候。他來自加勒，那是斯里蘭卡南方的港口城，四季溫熱，靠山近海。也許正因如此，當他初次走進九份，看見霧中山巒與海天一線，他的心有了一種微妙的震動。
「這裡的風景讓我想起家鄉，但這裡不一樣。這裡的山會說話。」他微笑說道。
此次駐村是他第二次參與國際藝術計畫，他選擇的主題是《與土地對話》。他相信，山不只是景觀，是記憶的容器，是靈感的來源。他每天背著畫具，走上茶壺山、基隆山的步道，與霧氣對話，與風聲交談。那不是尋找靈感，而是等待土地的傾訴。
「當我在這裡畫畫，不只是畫一幅畫，而是記錄一個瞬間的對話。」
藝術家的孩子：與在地共創的第一次
Ilham從未與小學生共同創作過。但這次，在山城美館的安排下，他與九份在地兩所學校的孩子們一起進行創作。他不只是教畫畫，而是用最簡單的筆，打開了孩子對藝術的好奇。
孩子們問他：「斯里蘭卡在哪裡？那裡有什麼動物？你們的字怎麼寫？」
他則回答：「我們有70%的小學生是和鳥一起長大的。我們不只是畫鳥，我們和牠們一起生活。」
這種文化交換，是他最珍惜的部分。他說，這不只是藝術教育，而是心靈的開放。他從孩子身上學會單純地感受，用心去聽環境說話。
「藝術不只是展覽牆上的作品，而是對生活的感知，對他人好奇的那一瞬。」
漢字與名字的魔法：文化的下一步延伸
這次駐村，有一個意外的收穫。朋友為他取了中文名字 － 沙義瀚。他開始對漢字產生濃厚興趣。那不只是名字的翻譯，而是文化的召喚。他說，未來希望結合中文字的結構與象形意涵，發展新的系列創作。
這樣的文化轉譯，不再只是形式，而是從語言進入思維，從視覺延伸至感官。他開始研究「話」、「山」、「心」等中文字的筆劃與概念，並準備將其納入他即將在紐約舉辦的下一場展覽。
下一步：從九份到可倫坡，藝術交換的新契機
結束本次駐村後，Ilham希望將這段經歷延伸為一項長期的藝術交換計畫。他表示，未來將歡迎台灣藝術家到斯里蘭卡駐村，親自感受那裡的山海與文化節奏。他不再只是藝術創作者，更是文化使者。
「我想讓台灣藝術家也感受我們的土地，聽見斯里蘭卡山城的悄悄話。」
藝術，是一場與土地的深情對話
這場駐村，不只是作品的誕生，更是生命的轉譯。Ilham從IT老闆到藝術家，從企業邏輯走入山城的靈魂世界。他的線條，不只是筆劃，更是跨文化的語言。
在霧與山的懷抱裡，他與土地對話，也與過去的自己告別。藝術於是成為一種呼吸，一種存在的方式 ：無聲，但有力。
展覽資訊：
主題：《與土地對話 Conversations with the Land》
藝術家：Ilham Sanoon
展期：2025/05/01–06/28（週三至週日 10:00–17:00）
茶會：6/1（日）14:00–17:00
地點：山城美館（新北市瑞芳區輕便路117號之2）
指導單位：文化部、國立新竹生活美學館
主辦單位：臺灣類博物館發展協會、山城美館、十里青文創
Ilham Sanoon 沙義瀚 藝術家
國籍：斯里蘭卡
身份：藝術家、《BLACKLIT GALLERIA》創辦人
家庭背景：家中四人，為么子；已婚，育有兩位女兒
教育與職涯背景
學歷：畢業於 S. Thomas’ College，曾就讀匈牙利 Semmelweis University of Medicine
轉折經歷：因罹患重病中斷醫學學業，轉入資訊科技領域
科技領域資歷：28年經驗，經手全球超過18個品牌，擔任 Kingston 在斯里蘭卡授權經銷商長達20年
現職：BLG Technologies 創辦人暨合夥人
藝術之路
藝術起點：2015年，一次無心的塗鴉作品開啟創作之旅
藝術風格：以黑白筆觸為主，特色在於細膩筆畫與象徵圖騰
重要轉捩：受到斯里蘭卡老牌藝廊導師 Laksiri Fonseka 啟發
藝術產量：十年間完成逾 300 件作品，皆出於純粹熱情
藝廊經營：於可倫坡市中心經營《BLACKLIT GALLERIA》
駐村計畫資訊
駐村地點：台灣九份《山城美館》
駐村名稱：《與土地對話（Conversations with the Land）》
駐村主題：探索藝術作為人與地方之間的文化與情感橋梁
開幕日期：2025 年 6 月 1 日
國際參與：本次為其第二次參與國際藝術展
台灣連結與文化交流
與台灣淵源：自 1997 年即與台灣科技界合作，現以藝術家身分重返
本次計畫特色：將與在地學生與教育者交流，促進斯里蘭卡與台灣視覺文化對話
對台灣的印象：充滿創作活力與包容性的藝術重鎮
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「The Artist Who Speaks with the Land: A Journey from Sri Lanka to Jiufen’s Mountain Town」
When Ilham Sanoon stepped onto the misty, winding stone paths of Jiufen, the fog had yet to lift. The mountain breeze carried a hint of ocean salt, and in the distance, the sea and sky embraced in silence, like an ink-wash painting splashed in shades of gray. This man, an artist, entrepreneur, father, and dreamer from Sri Lanka, was here—not for business, but for something far more personal.
This was his 21st visit to Taiwan. The first 18, he said, were all about technology, clients, and sealing international deals. As one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent tech distributors, he held exclusive agency rights for over 20 global brands, including Kingston and BenQ. In the corporate world, he was a strategist—precise and forward-thinking.
But today, standing at the Mountain Town Art Museum in Jiufen, there were no spreadsheets by his side. Instead, he was surrounded by intricate black-and-white line drawings. His transformation, he insists, was a matter of chance.
“I saw a crumpled piece of paper on my desk, picked up a pencil, and started drawing. That day, I created my very first piece.”
Ilham calls himself an “accidental artist.” His shift from tech mogul to visual artist wasn’t an escape, but a return—toward something essential. What he had longed for wasn’t the accuracy of machines, but the freedom of lines.
All of Ilham’s work is rendered in black and white, with strokes as fine as strands of hair. Each piece emerges from a meditation on form and rhythm, folds and silence. To him, black and white isn’t merely an aesthetic—it’s a worldview: simple yet profound, complex yet composed.
From the Island of Technology to a Mountain Town: Taiwan, Revisited
Ilham first came to Taiwan in 1997. He recalls the convenience of Taipei, the warmth of the south, and the island’s seamless blend of sea and mountain. He’s from Galle, a port city in southern Sri Lanka—warm, coastal, mountainous. Perhaps it was this resonance that struck him when he first walked through Jiufen, mist curling around the ridges, ocean visible through the clouds.
“This place reminds me of home,” he said with a smile. “But it’s different. Here, the mountains speak.”
This residency marks his second international art project. His chosen theme, “Conversations with the Land,” is more than poetic—it’s practice. Each day, he carries his tools and hikes to Teapot Mountain or Keelung Mountain, not merely to observe but to listen. Inspiration, for him, comes not from seeking, but from waiting—for the land to speak first.
“When I draw here, I’m not just making a picture. I’m recording a moment of dialogue.”
A First in Collaboration: Children, Curiosity, and Creation
Ilham had never collaborated with elementary school students before. But in Jiufen, under the guidance of the Mountain Town Art Museum, he did just that. With the simplest of tools—a pen, a question—he opened doors to artistic wonder.
“Where is Sri Lanka?” the children asked. “What animals live there? What do your letters look like?”
He replied, “Seventy percent of our children grow up with birds. We don’t just draw them—we live alongside them.”
This exchange, he says, was the most meaningful part of his residency. It wasn’t just art education—it was emotional awakening. From the children, he re-learned how to be present, how to feel.
“Art isn’t only what hangs on the gallery walls. It’s a way of sensing life. It begins with a moment of curiosity.”
The Magic of Chinese Characters: A New Layer of Expression
One unexpected gift from this residency was his Chinese name—沙義瀚 (Sha Yi Han)—given by a Taiwanese friend. Ilham was captivated. The name wasn’t just a translation—it was a cultural bridge. He now hopes to incorporate Chinese characters and their visual symbolism into a future body of work.
This is more than a formal experiment. It’s a linguistic invitation—into the shapes of meaning, the visual architecture of thought. He’s begun studying characters like “話 (speech),” “山 (mountain),” and “心 (heart),” planning to integrate them into an upcoming exhibition in New York.
The Next Chapter: From Jiufen to Colombo
After this residency, Ilham hopes to turn his experience into a long-term cultural exchange program. He dreams of welcoming Taiwanese artists to Sri Lanka, where they can experience the mountain-to-sea rhythm of his homeland.
“I want Taiwanese artists to feel our earth—to hear the whispers of our Sri Lankan hills.”
Art as a Conversation with the Land—and the Self
This residency was not just the birth of a new collection, but a retranslation of life. Ilham has journeyed from IT executive to artist, from strategic calculation to soulful creation. His lines are not just drawings—they’re a cross-cultural language of attentiveness.
In the embrace of mountain and mist, he converses with the land—and bids farewell to a former self. Art, for him, has become a way of breathing. A way of being. Quiet, but powerful.
Exhibition Information:
Title: Conversations with the Land
Artist: Ilham Sanoon (沙義瀚)
Dates: May 1 – June 28, 2025 (Wed–Sun, 10:00–17:00)
Tea Gathering: June 1 (Sun), 14:00–17:00
Location: Mountain Town Art Museum, No. 117-2, Qingbian Road, Ruifang, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Supported by: Ministry of Culture, National Hsinchu Living Arts Center
Organized by: Taiwan Association of Quasi-Museums, Mountain Town Art Museum, Ten Miles of Green Cultural Studio
About the Artist: Ilham Sanoon (沙義瀚)
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Role: Artist, Founder of BLACKLIT GALLERIA
Family: Youngest of four siblings, married with two daughters
Education & Career:
Studied at S. Thomas’ College and Semmelweis University of Medicine, Hungary (discontinued due to illness)
28 years in the IT industry; official distributor for Kingston in Sri Lanka for 20 years
Founder & partner of BLG Technologies
Artistic Journey:
Began in 2015 with an impromptu sketch
Known for intricate black-and-white line drawings
Inspired by mentor Laksiri Fonseka of The Plâté Loft Gallery
Over 300 artworks to date, created out of pure passion
Owns and operates BLACKLIT GALLERIA in Colombo
Residency Details:
Location: Jiufen, Taiwan (Mountain Town Art Museum)
Project: Conversations with the Land
Goal: To explore how art bridges people and place
Opening: June 1, 2025
This marks his second international exhibition
Taiwan Connections:
First came in 1997 for tech business
Now returns as an artist, engaging in cultural exchange with local students and educators
Sees Taiwan as a vibrant and inclusive hub for contemporary creativity
Listen to the full interview on our podcasts:
The Alchemy of Local Revival / At the Corner Where We Meet / More than Tech
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Taiwan Tech + Soul
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#沙義瀚
#BLACKLITGALLERIA#ConversationsWithTheLand #MountainTownArtMuseum #ArtResidency #SriLankanArtist #JiufenArt #CulturalExchange #BlackAndWhiteArt #AccidentalArtist #QuasiMuseumAssociation #ArtAsEverydayLife
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