It is Buddhism again which profoundly rooted in arts of sculpting and painting in Sri Lanka. For sculpture, most of works are dominated by the Buddha images. In early times, the statues of Buddha were often carved from the living rock of limestone cliffs.

Over the centuries, other kind of materials have also been adopted for sculpting the statutes of Buddha such as jade, rock, crystal, marble, emerald, ivory, coral, wood, and metal. The Buddha is represented in three main poses: standing, meditating, and reclining. The ornamental sculptures on the staircases of Buddhist shrines and palaces reveal exquisite skill of Sri Lankan sculptors and also symbolize religious belief among the Sinhalese Buddhists.

Similar to sculptures, Sri Lankan painting closely attaches to Buddhist belief. Themes in Sri Lankan painting are all related to Buddha: Buddha's life and tales of former lives of the Buddha, for example. The excellent painting works can be seen on walls in several Buddhist monasteries and shrines.

There are two different styles of painting in Sri Lanka: classical style and Kandyan style. The Classical style is vigorous, complex and expressive whereas the Kandyan style holds it simplicity and continuity of expression.