Speaker

Channa Daswatte

Channa Daswatte graduated in 1991 and joined the architectural consultancy of Geoffrey Bawa. He later founded MICD Associates in partnership with Murad Ismail in 1998. Based in Sri Lanka, much of his work has been built on the island, on the Indian Ocean rim. Channa has been in architectural education since 1992, teaching at both the City School of Architecture and the University of Moratuwa. He continues to be an examiner at both institutions. 

The author of several books including Sri Lanka Style with Dominic Sansoni and the Colonial Period Furniture in the Geoffrey Bawa Collection, Channa has also written and edited extensively for magazines and journals including A+U Japan on the architecture of Sri Lanka on the 100th birth anniversary of Geoffrey Bawa. From 2015 to 2019, he held the post of Chairman of the Galle Heritage Foundation. He is a trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa and Lunuganga Trusts and a founding committee member of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art – Sri Lanka.

Top Titles

• Sri Lanka Style: Tropical Design and Architecture (2006) 

• Colonial Period Furniture in the Geoffrey Bawa Collection (2012)

Charles Uzzell-Edwards

Charles Uzzell-Edwards, born in South Wales in 1968, is a graffiti artist known by the moniker ‘Pure Evil’. In the early 1990s, he was one of the designers for Anarchic Adjustment with Alan Brown and Nick Philip and released electronic ambient music on Pete Namlook’s FAX label, recording “Octopus” 1, 2 & 3 and ‘Dada’ (under the pseudonym Drum Machine Circle) solo. He also produced ‘A New Consciousness” and ‘Create’ 1 & 2 with Pete Namlook, recorded “Supergroup” with Thomas Bullock, and ‘Audio’ with Tetsu Inoue and Daimon Beail. Charles has exhibited globally, and runs The Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch, London. In 2011, he created a special edition of prints to raise money for the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. He served as artist-in-residence of the Quin Arts program at the Quin Hotel in New York City in the spring of 2016. 

Speaker

Fabienne Francotte

Fabienne Francotte (b. 1959, Belgium) exploits the possibilities of fabric, metal and clay in her engagement with the aftermath of trauma, abuse and migratory displacement. Her work often draws from her observations and experiences of people around her, including her own – transgressing the boundaries of culture and social and economic classes. She has also been writing since 1972. Journaling stories, memories, collecting feelings and souvenirs, recording a manifesto about a nomadic life and the many communities met on the way. Today she has 86 diaries.

Since shifting to Sri Lanka in 2016, she has concerned herself with a range of social issues present in Sri Lanka such as education, the business of sex, and religious tolerance. Her training as a calligrapher is visible in her drawings which exhibit a similar ritualistic execution, balance and controlled gestures and composition. Fabienne’s work has been presented at several solo and group exhibitions in Belgium, France, Greece, Italy and South Asia.

Pulasthi Handunge

As an architecture graduate from the City School of Architecture Colombo, Pulasthi Handunge’s passion lies in the intersection between art and architecture. With a fascination for spatial character and design, he delves into the historical narratives of the spaces he explores, enriching his understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the built environment and the natural world. He strives to infuse every piece of his work with a distinct Sri Lankan touch, thereby creating a reflection of both himself and the rich cultural tapestry that the country embodies. Debuting in 2010 with his first solo exhibition, Handunge has since participated in numerous group shows, including Kala Pola in 2019. His work was featured on the cover of ARTRA Magazine’s Emerging Artists | Best of 2020, Edition 57 (2020). As he ventures into the fields of art and architecture, Handunge works stand as a testament to his unwavering commitment to capturing the essence of nature and culture, all while celebrating his Sri Lankan heritage.

Malki Jayakody

Currently working as a Temporary Assistant Lecturer, Malki is reading for her Master’s in Fine Arts at the University of Kelaniya. Malki completed her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the University of Kelaniya and has developed an excellent understanding of art history, painting, and graphic design practices. She was featured on ARTRA in 2023 for impeccable use of skill and conceptual strength in her working collection, which is titled ‘Colourism’. She has participated in art projects as a part of social service efforts to enhance children’s knowledge of using waste material to enrich their creative ideas. She has also participated in The Forest School Residency programme organised by Colombosope. 

Vineet Vohra

Hailing from New Delhi in India, with a first class degree in Fine Arts from the University of Delhi’s College of Arts, Vineet Vohra is a self-taught street photographer who lives his passion like a discipline. He endeavours to synthesise human elements with the environment, focusing on making ordinary moments look extraordinary. In 2011, Vohra co-founded APF Magazine, an evolving street photography magazine intended to provide a platform for emerging photographers, artists and designers to showcase their work. Vohra is the first ever Indian Leica Ambassador, and conducts workshops at the Leica Akademie. He has been awarded for excellence thrice by His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi at the Xposure International Photography Festival, and nominated for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award. His works have been published in prestigious global publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian UK, and National Geographic. He has also been featured in various collective exhibitions in Australia, London, New York, Miami, Vietnam, Tel Aviv and India.