When it comes to the self- expression, society has found itself in abundance of mediums. Photography, in particular is a medium through which we see an artist's perspective, while looking through an artist's lens. Photography is easily defined as the art, application, and practice of creating everlasting images by recording light. Phos or phōtós means light, while graphê meaning 'drawing', which leads us to believe that 'photography' in its literal definition is 'drawing with light'. We explored how Daily ARTRA's emerging artist of the week, Malki Perera 'draws with light' her own definition to urbanization.

1. THE BEGINNINGS

Want to know how it all began? Well, for Malki, it was from the moment she got her first camera at the age of eighteen. She claims it to be a life changing moment. Today, the twenty-two year old Malki Perera, is an independent, skilled videographer and photographer, portraying this month's theme, Urbanization through vivid images of Sri Lanka, and its evolution; the shift in perspective, and the societal change. Urbanization becomes the evolution within civilization.

"Creating has always been a fun and exciting thing to me; a way to share how I feel and how to express my experiences as I grow. Vulnerability is scary, but it's a beautiful thing” says Malki. Learning through vulnerability, Malki shows her experience and knowledge that she has gathered over the years through the ideas conveyed in her photography.

2. INSPIRATION IN SILENCE

Ask yourself what inspires you? It could be a little detail from your life, your favourite song, or it could even be the people in your life. Malki finds inspiration in, more often, a disbelieving and unlikely way. When asked where her inspiration stems from, she responded that she finds true inspiration in silence. "I do my best thinking when I'm away from technology in those quiet moments", she says. Further understanding proved to us that perhaps, all answers lie in silence. Some find inspirations when the world quiets down and they allow themselves to delve deep, while the rest are inspired from the bustle of streets. Nevertheless, Malki prefers to stick to the absence of sound, revealing in its silence. She goes as far as writing out and planning each shoot before it is done in true material. They say that the human mind is many things - to Malki, it's shown to be a canvas where all her innovative ideas come alive.

3. TAKE THE RISK!

Daily ARTRA’s emerging artist also seeks inspiration by taking risks. "Starting something I have no idea how to finish, witnessing people go for something new – anything that has the potential for failure - but not a total disaster - gets my heart and creativity pumping", she explains. Feeding on the adrenaline rush and excitement of the unknown, she takes the risk-taking territory to discover inspiration amidst a mundane life.

4. MALKI'S TAKE ON URBANIZATION

Urbanization has taken on the role of the growing and the changing of a rural environment to a supposedly improved version. Society adapts, and we move on, while we only stop to look back at simpler times and times before an urban environment. In her photographs, Malki shows strong emotions through sense and loss of the unsophisticated culture.

In a world that's always evolving, planning and running, Malki Perera figures that the best way to live is the kind of living where you seize every moment, letting it fill her soul so that she can make every moment count. Capturing different areas and different measures of time, inhaling all that the world has to offer. "Everyday I’m trying to learn more about the content I want to put out into the world and the messages I want to share, more importantly, how I can continue to share them in different and fresh new ways.

Check out more of Malki Perera’s works of art on Daily ARTRA Facebook and Instagram @DailyARTRA!