Spanning 55 years of form, fabric, and folklore, the exhibition offers a rare insight into the polymathic mind of one of Sri Lanka’s most influential contemporary artists.
From April 25 to May 15, 2025, PRSFG will host Rekha, a major retrospective dedicated to the multifaceted oeuvre of Sri Lankan artist and designer Tilak Samarawickrema. Held at 138 Gallery Road in Colombo, the exhibition presents an expansive view of a five-decade-long practice that seamlessly integrates heritage crafts, architectural precision, and an enduring curiosity for the line as both form and philosophy.
Featuring tapestries, line drawings, etchings, animated films, and sculptural objects created between 1970 and 2025, Rekha is as much an archive of cultural memory as it is a celebration of artistic innovation. Samarawickrema’s body of work defies easy classification. A trained architect who came of age amid the radical design currents of 1970s Italy, he brought the sensibilities of European modernism into a rich dialogue with the visual traditions of South Asia. The results are works that are geometric yet gestural, modern yet steeped in folklore.
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
The Line, Rekha, as Form and Philosophy
The idea of the “line”—in all its narrative and formal possibilities—has long been central to Samarawickrema’s practice. During his time as a student in Italy, he began experimenting with the rounded contours of Sinhala script and the dynamic compositions of Sri Lankan murals.
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
These early investigations evolved into a distinctive visual language, visible in his etchings and drawings inspired by the legendary jester Andare, a figure of mischief and wit in Sri Lankan folk tales. In 1974, these drawings culminated in an animated film, produced by Coronna Cinematografica and selected to represent Italy at the Oberhausen Film Festival—an important early milestone in his international career.
The Legacy of Dumbara Tapestries
One of the most defining aspects of Samarawickrema’s work lies in his long-standing collaboration with traditional Dumbara weavers from Thalgunne, Udadumbara. Over a 35-year period, he reimagined conventional weaving techniques, infusing them with the bold geometry and design philosophy he absorbed in Europe.
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
The resulting series of contemporary tapestries not only revitalized local textile practices but also resonated globally, finding audiences in institutions such as the Deutsches Textilmuseum in Krefeld and the Norsk Form Design Museum in Oslo. From 1992 to 2000, these tapestries were even retailed at the MoMA Design Store in New York—an extraordinary achievement for craft-based work rooted in Sri Lankan heritage.
Global Reach and Recognition
Samarawickrema’s work has continued to circulate across the globe. Most recently, he has exhibited at Gallery Ragini and Gallery Art Motif in New Delhi, as well as KALĀ in Colombo. His earlier shows include seminal platforms such as the 12th São Paulo Biennale (1973), Rizzoli Gallery in New York (1979), SHED Design Gallery in Milan (1992), and Galerie Smend in Cologne (1994), further cementing his reputation as a global cultural interlocutor.
Image Courtesy- PRSFG
Now in his 70s, Samarawickrema’s work continues to hold relevance for both contemporary art and design discourses. With Rekha, PRSFG invites audiences to engage with an artist whose practice challenges the boundaries between tradition and modernity, object and idea, craft and fine art.
About PRSFG
Founded through the merger of two iconic spaces—Paradise Road Galleries (est. 1998) and Saskia Fernando Gallery (est. 2009)—PRSFG stands today as Sri Lanka’s leading platform for contemporary art. With a presence at both 138 Galle Road and 41 Horton Place in Colombo, the gallery remains committed to showcasing South Asian voices and fostering global dialogue through art.
Feature Image Courtesy- The Daily Guardian
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