Sri Lanka’s anti-government protests caught global headlines this year for the sheer endurance of its citizens congregating in and around its capital city Colombo for over seven months. Risking personal injury, police brutality and incarceration, Sri Lankans suffered under worsening economic conditions with an unstable government. Tavish Gunasena, a fine art and documentary photographer has built up a body of work from around his paradise island, but found himself in the middle of the frenzy, capturing the rage and bravery of his people. We chart his journey from peace to protest in this photo essay.

Why photography?

I was about 15 when my aunt gifted my father a Camcorder that we then took on family trips. I would often hijack it and document our trips enthusiastically, guided by my father who learnt photography informally during his newspaper days. I was fascinated with the different ways one could depict the same scene from different angles. It was the beginning of a long journey, learning about the incredible world of images and photography.

What do you usually photograph?

Most of my work is centred around Sri Lanka’s Southeast coast, my favourite place on the island. I recently concluded my first exhibition, ‘Expanded,’ a group show in Dhaka held by the Pathshala Institute where I shared the first phase of this ongoing work.

Which photographers' works and style interest you? Why?

My work has been greatly influenced by the works of Iranian photographer Abbas Attar of Magnum. As well, Masahisa Fukase's photobook, Ravens (1986) has inspired me to pursue long-term projects and my own books, someday.

What draws you to portraiture?

What is most special about portraiture, is how it allows us to not only understand others, but ourselves. Portraiture and self-portraiture are directly responsible for a lot of our ideas on the individual and self.

How did you come to be at the protests?

The first big Opposition protest took place at Galle Face in Colombo on March 15. Galle Face has been a place I would consistently photograph throughout my years making pictures and I could not help but witness this movement, to try and understand it through the act of photographing it. I do not work for any newspaper or magazine and I make the pictures as a way of processing what I’m experiencing. I do have some minor experience with photojournalism. My first job after I left school was interning at the Sunday Times where I shadowed a photojournalist. I have always been quite interested in photojournalism and it was something I would continue to do independently even after leaving the Sunday Times.

How dangerous was the situation?

Personal safety is paramount to me when I’m creating my work. I am not paid to do this work, nor am I making the work with the intent of selling the photos to magazines or newspapers. As soon as I feel the situation escalating, I leave. As a rule of thumb, I make all of my work with small inconspicuous lenses, and always have my exit path mapped out in my head. People were indeed being hurt during clashes with security forces, although a large part of the protests were peaceful.

How did it feel moving through this space?

Being in a situation of a large-scale protest was a first for me. There were a lot of thoughts and feelings running through my mind, but I made sure to remain neutral and simply photograph what I saw. There’s a lot of messaging around protests; the call-and-response chants, the big text on protest placards, the physicality of people marching down streets – it’s like a rhythm that begins to take shape, and I would flow and create images within this rhythm.

Tavish Gunasena makes photos with a Canon 5D Mark 3 and 40mm and 50mm lens. His works have been on display in Toronto and Galle.