Sri Lanka's Art Scene: Where to Find It and What Is Actually Happening

Sri Lanka's contemporary art scene exists largely below the radar of the international art world but it is doing interesting work. A generation of Sri Lankan artists who studied abroad and returned, combined with an older generation who stayed and worked through difficult decades, have produced a body of painting, sculpture, and installation work that engages seriously with the history, beauty, and complexity of the island.

The Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo is the primary commercial gallery of consequence: a serious programme of exhibitions, strong relationships with the most significant Sri Lankan artists, and a reputation that extends beyond the island. The space in Colombo 7 is worth visiting regardless of what is on. The programming is reliably interesting and the gallery itself is beautifully maintained in a converted colonial building.

The National Art Gallery in Colombo has the national collection and a permanent display that provides useful context for understanding the development of Sri Lankan fine art. The work ranges from the colonial and post-colonial representational painting of the early 20th century through to more recent abstract and conceptual work. It is not the most dynamically curated space but it is an honest introduction to what Sri Lankan artists have been doing and thinking over the past hundred years.

Galle Fort has an active creative community and several artist-run spaces and studios that open to the public during the Galle Literary Festival each January. The festival itself is the major cultural event of the Sri Lankan year, drawing writers and thinkers from across the region and internationally for a long weekend of talks, readings, and conversations in the extraordinary setting of the Fort. If your visit coincides with it, rearrange your schedule.