Sujith Rathnayake was best known as a studio painter until – during the Aragalaya – he started to live in a tent at the Gota Go Gama protest site established at Galle Face Green and set up a studio and an art gallery there. When the art gallery was burnt down by Rajapaksa supporters, Rathnayake not only rebuild it but also burnt one of his earlier works and re-titled it Artist’s Painting Set on Fire by the Artist. As he explains: “In our culture we use violence for everything. We say ‘no violence’ by hitting people. So, I drew a parallel by burning – I burnt my painting to say don’t burn art.” In this in-depth interview, Rathnayake explains his motives for actively talking part in the Aragalaya as an artist, talks about risk-taking and what his art is inspired by. Moreover, he discusses the precarious relation between ‘art for art’s sake’ and art for an ethical or political purpose and critically reflects on his own artistic process and the works of art he created during the Aragalaya. Finally, the interview focusses on the Sri Lankan art scene and the questions as to what influence art can have on society and whether it can change society and politics.