Kala Pola 2024 – Sri Lanka’s Annual Open Air Art Fair – held on February 18th along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 brought success for both artists and visitors alike, generating estimated sales of approximately Rs. 51 million, excluding commissioned artwork.
Commemorating its 31st year, Kala Pola is Sri Lanka’s largest and longest-running platform for artists and sculptors to showcase their talent and connect with buyers, industry professionals, and the artist community. A long-term collaboration of the George Keyt Foundation and John Keells Group, the event drew a tremendous response, attracting 368 artists and an estimated 38,000 visitors (including both footfall and vehicular presence in the event area).
The official ceremony was graced by His Excellency Santosh Jha, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, as the chief guest along with Mr. Malaka Talwatte, Chairman of the George Keyt Foundation (GKF), accompanied by the trustees of GKF and Mr. Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the John Keells Group, along with members of the senior management of the Group.
In his welcome address at the official ceremony, Malaka Talwatte, GKF’s Chairperson, said, “We have had a great turnout today. We strongly believe that art is for everyone and that every artist should have the opportunity to showcase their work. That is what Kala Pola is about. This platform has had phenomenal growth over the years, mainly because of the support of our Partner, the John Keells Group. They have been instrumental in scaling this up to what you see today. From 30 artists in 1993, today we have over 350 artists showing their work.”
In his address, H.E Santosh Jha noted, “This effort is significant because it is bringing art out of the galleries to the community. The fair format you have and its uncurated exhibition blends a naturalness and spontaneity, which should be characteristic of the art forms. Art is not just for indulgence, it’s much more. It can be a catalyst for social dialogue, a provocation for change, a challenge to the stereotype, and a canvas for new ideas.” He went on to commend GKF and the John Keells Group for their continued partnership which has driven the growth of Kala Pola.
Commenting on the event and the focus on arts and culture by the John Keells Group, Carmeline Jayasuriya, the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said “We are delighted with the success of Kala Pola 2024. While we have undertaken many diverse initiatives under the Arts & Culture pillar, Kala Pola remains a unique and fundamental aspect of our roadmap aimed at boosting artists’ livelihoods, safeguarding and promoting Sri Lankan arts and culture, and catalysing social cohesion and wellbeing through artistic and creative expression. We are excited about the potential of these endeavours in contributing to the growth of creative economies.”
Swarna Abeytunge, an artist who showcased her work at Kala Pola 2024 said, ‘Hats off to the organisers of Kala Pola for organising this event very methodically without any chaos! This is the only platform in Sri Lanka which gives the equal opportunity to all the artists without any discrimination. This was my first time at Kala Pola as an artist and I am glad that it ended successfully.”
The Children’s Art Corner, managed by Elephant House and conducted under the guidance of teachers from the Cora Abraham Art School, saw the participation of 165 children throughout the day and concluded with a workshop guiding children to create crafts with recycled materials. The Children’s Art Corner was graced by the Indian High Commissioner who together with the Chairpersons of the John Keells Group and George Keyt Foundation distributed gift bags and certificates to participants.
Kala Pola 2024 also featured two compelling talks: one on what contemporary art is by Dr. Priyantha Udagedera and moderated by Kasun Jayamanne, and another providing valuable insights on building an art collection by Malaka Talwatte, moderated by Nadija Tambiah, both drawing encouraging audiences.
The evening we concluded with a vibrant showcase of Sri Lankan performing arts including dance, drumming, and folk singing in a carnival-like atmosphere.
Kala Pola 2024 was supported by 123 volunteers from the John Keells Group.
The street fair continues to be complemented by https://www.srilankanartgallery.com, the digital platform hosted by the John Keells Foundation to showcase Sri Lanka’s visual artists throughout the year.
Art & Culture are one of the six focus areas of the John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 18 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. 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 the John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.