KALĀ x UVAP
In its second edition, KALĀ amplifies Sri Lankan art on the global stage, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of UVPA Colombo. Showcasing the legacy of Sri Lanka’s pioneering Heywood Masters alongside contemporary responses and through the KALĀ COMMUNE residency programme, we foster cross-border collaborations and meaningful cultural exchange, driving creative change across the region. KALĀ COMMUNE, the South Asian Residency, in collaboration with the University of Visual and Performing Arts (UVPA) Colombo, celebrates the institution’s 75th anniversary. Aligned with KALĀ’s goal of engaging with the South Asian arts community and fostering the local arts ecosystem, KALĀ COMMUNE, a South Asian residency program inviting regional practitioners to Sri Lanka, will also take place at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. The residency will conclude with the first open studio at the university alongside the KALĀ COMMUNE Open Studio Exhibition. The Open Studio Exhibition will feature Artists-in-Residence: Ahmed Rasel (Bangladesh), Chandra Bhattacharjee (India), Pankaj Panwar (India), Ahmed Javed (Pakistan), Seema Sharma Shah (Nepal), Rinoshan Susiman (Sri Lanka) and Hema Shironi (Sri Lanka).
Seven artists from across the region collaborate with Sri Lanka’s oldest art institution during this residency. Participants will engage in open studios, workshops, and projects, fostering cultural immersion and the exchange of artistic practices.
KALĀ COMMUNE is an immersive South Asian Residency Open Studios & Exhibition. The residency programme runs over 4 weeks at the University of Visual & Performing Arts Colombo. Seven artists to share their experience and practice and help deepen our commitment through collaboration, pedagogy, and meaningful engagement.
KALĀ exhibitions have been curated under the guidance of our Curatorial Advisor Sandhini Poddar (Adjunct Curator at Large, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project).
PIVOT GLIDE ECHO
In 2024, PIVOT GLIDE ECHO unfolded as an intergenerational dialogue across eight decades with Lionel Wendt serving as a catalyst. It continues from its first iteration, evolving into an aspiration to trace different strands in artistic imagination that shape Sri Lankan art history.
Guided by a similar ethos, this edition expands on an engagement with experimental image-making, while situating the history of visual art in the cultural and socio-political moment of its creation. With the University of Visual and Performing Arts (UVPA), Colombo at its epicentre, the exhibition examines the practice of its luminaries, featuring artworks by Ena de Silva, H.A. Karunaratne, David Paynter, Pala Pothupitiya, Tissa Ranasinghe, Jagath Ravindra, Thamotharampillai Shanaathanan, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Tilak Samarawickrema, Priyantha Udagedara, Dominic Sansoni, Laki Senanayake, and Jagath Weerasinghe.
PIVOT GLIDE ECHO‘s second edition explores Sri Lanka’s rich artistic heritage, connecting modern and contemporary voices to honour shared themes and histories. The second edition of PIVOT GLIDE ECHO is supported by The Rukmini Tissanayagam Trust.
PIVOT GLIDE ECHO’s second edition delves deeper into the narratives of Sri Lankan art, highlighting the shared themes, social concerns, and creative explorations that connect the works of modern and contemporary artists, honouring the profound influence of these pioneers on the country’s art history and to the artistic heritage of the region.
Celebrating Sri Lanka’s vibrant artistic legacy and its ongoing influence in the South Asian art scene at the Heywood Gallery at the Faculty of Visual Arts. This exhibition is supported by The Rukmini Tissanayagam Trust.
Featured Artists:
J.D.A. Perera | David Paynter | Stanley Abeysinghe | H.A. Karunaratne | Tissa Ranasinghe | Chandraguptha Thenuwara | Dominic Sansoni | Ena De Silva | Jagath Ravindra | Jagath Weerasinghe | Laki Senanayake | Pala Pothupitiye | Priyantha Udagedara | Tilak Samarawickrema | T.Shanaathanan
KALĀ 2025 is proud to collaborate with esteemed organisations to enrich its programming, including Art South Asia Project (ASAP). ASAP, a UK-based arts education and development non-profit, is committed to creating initiatives that serve South Asia and its diasporas. Following the success of last year’s KALĀ x ASAP series of talks and workshops, we are delighted to partner with them once again for the second edition of KALĀ.
The 2025 KALĀ x ASAP programme includes public talks and private workshops that highlight the vital relationships artists build within the art ecosystem—whether with patrons, commercial galleries, or through their own peers. This series aims to provide invaluable insights and specialised perspectives for the artistic community in Sri Lanka and beyond. KALĀ x ASAP programming is supported by
Faizal & Shabana Foundation and QissaGoi.
Asia Society is a global non-profit institution, headquartered in the US, with a network of centres across the world. With a focus on creating a deeper understanding of Asia for global audiences, and building networks and connections between Asia and the world, Asia Society curates strategic initiatives and programmes across the arts, business, policy, geopolitics, health, technology and education.
Established in 2006, the India Centre is committed to spotlighting South Asia through its work, focusing on the collective and individual histories of the region; contemporary challenges affecting society; and the trends and ideas that will shape the subcontinent’s future. Within the arts, the organisation has a long-standing commitment to promoting public engagement with culture, supporting artistic excellence and creative leadership, developing cross-border networks between individuals and cultural institutions, and building awareness about contemporary and vernacular artistic traditions in South Asia.
In its second edition KALĀ expands its reach through the South Asian residency programme KALĀ COMMUNE, led by Assistant Curator Mandira Ranathunga and Programming Advisor Good Life X, deepening our commitment to collaboration, pedagogy, and meaningful engagement by bringing together seven practitioners within the region, nurturing emerging talent and fostering cross-border connections.
GOOD LIFE X, a catalyst in regenerative futures, will shape the residency programme and public events. Drawing on their local expertise and industry insights, they will collaborate with KALĀ as advisors to ensure the programming reflects both the Sri Lankan context and wider South Asian perspectives.
The 2025 KALĀ x ASAP programme includes public talks and private workshops that highlight the vital relationships artists build within the art ecosystem—whether with patrons, commercial galleries, or through their own peers. This series aims to provide invaluable insights and specialised perspectives for the artistic community in Sri Lanka and beyond. KALĀ x ASAP programming is supported by
Faizal & Shabana Foundation and QissaGoi.
2025 Artists
2025 Stories
2025 Team
Saskia Fernando
Michele Thurairaja
Mandira Ranathunga
Mariyam Begum
Sulakshi Ratnayake
2025 Partners
TAKE on Art × KALĀ
Of Mirage and Mirror: Passage on Photography
17 January 2026
11.00 am – 3.00 pm (1.00–2.00 pm lunch break)
138 Galle Road, Colombo 03
Join us for a workshop exploring how photographs produce meaning, shape memory, and circulate within culture and history, with a focus on writing with and through images. Participants will engage in close reading, discussion, and writing exercises that emphasise attentiveness, precision, and critical pause in a visually saturated world.
Led by Dilpreet Bhullar, editor, researcher, and Managing Editor of TAKE on Art, whose work engages visual culture, decolonisation, and curatorial practice across South Asia.
Open to writers, artists, and anyone interested in writing, across disciplines and stages of practice.
Limited seats available.
Register via the link in bio.
@bhavz15
@authenticitiessrilanka
@dailymirrorlk
@daily_ft
@lankadeepa
@sundaytimes
@hi_online_lk
@ilotcolombo
@barefootgallery
@peterharrisdoornberg1712
@dutt.tanya
@dilpreet_bhullar_026
@latitude_28
@saskiafernandogallery
@dreamteamstudio_events
KALĀ × TAKE on Art comes together in Colombo this January for a two day exhibition of South Asian artists, talks and workshops.
Opening weekend: 17–18 January 2026.
Rooted in questions of memory, materiality, reconciliation, and creative force, the programme brings together practices and perspectives from across South Asia.
@takeonart
@bhavz15
@authenticitiessrilanka
@dailymirrorlk
@daily_ft
@lankadeepa
@sundaytimes
@hi_online_lk
@ilotcolombo
@barefootgallery
@peterharrisdoornberg1712
@dutt.tanya
@dilpreet_bhullar_026
@latitude_28
@dreamteamstudio_events
@ifiri
@gopatrivedi
@hamra_abbas
@pradeepthalawatta
@puja_vaish
@vibhagalhotraofficial
@rennaisancegirl
@mayankmansingkaul
@kailash_k_shrestha
@pujangandhi72
@kishwarkiani
@farhat3893242
@namgayrockets
@tashi313
@ahmedrasel_photo
@anne_indira
TAKE on Art × KALĀ come together in Colombo as a cross-border platform, bringing together exhibitions, performances, workshops, and critical conversations. The programme fosters dialogue around memory, materiality, reconciliation, and contemporary artistic practice across South Asia and its diasporas.
@takeonart
@bhavz15
@authenticitiessrilanka
@dailymirrorlk
@daily_ft
@lankadeepa
@sundaytimes
@hi_online_lk
@ilotcolombo
@barefootgallery
@peterharrisdoornberg1712
@dutt.tanya
@dilpreet_bhullar_026
@latitude_28
@dreamteamstudio_events
@ifiri
@gopatrivedi
@hamra_abbas
@pradeepthalawatta
@puja_vaish
@vibhagalhotraofficial
@rennaisancegirl
@mayankmansingkaul
@kailash_k_shrestha
@pujangandhi72
@kishwarkiani
@farhat3893242
@namgayrockets
@tashi313
@ahmedrasel_photo
@anne_indira
As we close the year, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our friends, patrons, partners, mentors, and the wider artistic community who journeyed with KALĀ throughout 2025.
This year was shaped by collaboration across exhibitions, residencies, exchanges, and public programmes, foregrounding Sri Lankan artistic practice while deepening connections across South Asia and beyond.
Key milestones included the launch of KALĀ COMMUNE at the prestigious University of Visual and Performing Arts; the inaugural KALĀ × HamHampi Art Labs Artist Residency; international exchanges at Cité internationales arts, Paris; and the continued growth of the A4A (Artists for Artists) Production Fund. Our exhibition programme expanded through the second edition of PIVOT GLIDE ECHO.
We also marked important moments through mentorship engagements at India Art Fair and the announcement of our first Artist-in-Residence for 2026.
As we look ahead, KALĀ is excited to forge new partnerships in 2026.
@__elenapereira @af_colombo @ahmedjaved97 @ahmedrasel_photo @amilademel @anahitataneja @anandsunaina @andrea.g.tomasi @artalivegallery @artfakir @artgallerysiddhartha @artsouthasiaproject @asiasocietyic @atelier2.art @atlas.srilanka @authenticitiessrilanka @balmondstudio @barefootgallery @catharina07d @chandro_insta @chandragupthathenuwara
@cinnamonlifecolombo @cm24 @daily_ft @dailymirrorlk @darshani.rathnayake @deptofcoffee.lk @dominic.sansoni @drinkclouds @duluxlk @echelon_mag @faizalshabanafoundation
@films.and.stills @franceincolombo @furqaanahmedcollection
@gangarajinee @glx_hub @goetheinstitutm @godfathercobra
@hampiartlabs @hema_shironi @hi_online_lk @hnbsrilanka
@iaroslavvolovod @ifiri @ilotcolombo @indiaartfair @jagath_ravindra
@james_balmond @jaiveer.johal @jayaasokan @jkinstrgram
@kolamba.ldn @lankadeepa @malayamey @manishabaswani
@meagankellyhorsman @menikavan @mishkk @munemwasif @muvinduism @pathumego @peterharrisdoornberg1712 @pickmelk @pinkr672 @pradeepthalawatta @prasad_hettiarachch
A look back at two months of exploration, research and experimentation as our first KALĀ × Hampi Art Lab Residency comes to a close.
These moments capture the breadth of Elena Renée Pereira’s time in Sri Lanka and the influences drawn from Sri Lanka’s craft heritage practices. Her research traces connections between historical techniques and contemporary expression.
Our heartfelt thanks to our partners—@hampiartlabs, @hnbsrilanka, @authenticitessrilanka, @barefootgallery, @ilotcolombo, @selynfoundation, and the Faculty of Arts, University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo - for their generous support and collaboration throughout the residency.
