Kala Pola went online for the second time in 2021 ahead of Christmas as a month-long event held
from 28th November to 28th December. Captioned `Kala Pola Online Christmas Edition’, the event
was hosted by John Keells Foundation within its digital gallery www.srilankanartgallery.com which
provides exposure and sustainable market linkages for artists all throughout the year.
Kala Pola, which was conceptualized and launched as an open art fair by The George Keyt
Foundation, has enjoyed a 27-year partnership with John Keells Holdings PLC as the event sponsor
and manager. Kala Pola is a flagship project under John Keells Foundation’s focus area of Arts &
Culture, as a sustained CSR initiative aimed at empowering the livelihoods of Sri Lankan artists while
promoting appreciation and support of the arts among wider audiences within and outside Sri Lanka.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kala Pola first went online in February/March of 2021 ahead of
the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival and, following its success, in November/December as a
Christmas edition. The event attracted enthusiastic participation with 273 artists showcasing 5,034
works of art, drawing 64,700 unique visitors and reporting the sale of 422 artworks and LKR 12.6
million in estimated sales revenue during the event and over 63 commissioned works, a testament to
the ever-increasing interest in art transcending pandemic limitations. The virtual event included two
side events, namely the `Spotlight on Artist’ series hosted by Arun Dias Bandaranaike featuring Sri
Lankan artists Pala Pothupitiye, Anoli Perera and Sanjeewee Senevirathna whose art has reached global
audiences, and a Children’s Christmas Workshop conducted by the Shyamala School of Art.
“We are delighted at the tremendous response received from both artists and visitors to Kala Pola
Christmas Edition at a time when Sri Lankan artists continue to be challenged by the pandemic”, said
John Keells’ Head of CSR, Carmeline Jayasuriya. “The John Keells Group together with our partner
organizations remain committed to support and promote Sri Lankan art and artists through our
various initiatives within the Group’s wider roadmap for Arts and Culture.”
Nation’s Trust Bank (NTB) – Private Banking was the banking partner of Kala Pola Online for the
second consecutive time, enabling an exclusive virtual premier for its Private Banking clientele ahead
of the public launch. NTB’s partnership also facilitated the inclusion of a LankaQR code payment
option through FriMi, enhancing market access for registered artists with buyers.
Arts & Culture is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange
operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John
Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most
Respected Entity’ for the last 16 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World
Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of
“Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social
entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution
in Sri Lanka.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Executive-Corporate Communications + 94 11 230 6191/ 071 970 0900| Shenuka.jkh@keells.co
Isuri Abeywickrema
Executive-Corporate Communications
+ 94 11 230 6191/ 071 970 0900| Isuri.jkh@keells.com
