Beauty in the detail
With a portfolio that is as eclectic as it is extensive, the “passionate extroverted introvert” personality of Colombo-based interior designer and visual artist Minal Naomi Wickrematunge shines through. Each piece grabs attention, and are embedded with layers of meaning and intention where each glance reveals a new detail.
It was her childhood which shaped her career choices. When she was younger, Minal would always be involved in a crafty project. She recalls helping her mother with the decorations in her home and this sparked her fascination for how people interact within spaces.
Raised in a family of journalists, a lot of her concepts are inspired by listening to conversations at the dinner table. This is almost always about politics and social issues in Sri Lanka, she tells us. As such, her style and signature are based on ethnic influences.
When it comes to interior designing, Minal recalls her first projects being a makeover of a little nook at her home. “I created an enclosed area where I could entertain my friends, I hung up curtains for privacy and had many candles and lamps hung around the space,” she tells us.
On the artistic side, the first project she remembers working on was a political cartoon. Minal had cut up caricatures and photographs of famous political leaders at the time and made a comic strip. “I remember my uncle wanted to publish them but my mum said they were far too controversial and refused to give them to him!” She tells us she’d love to get her hands on them again.
Switching careers is a frightening choice for anyone to make and it was no different for Minal when she switched from Business to Design.
She recalls that it was “highly intimidating” when the realization struck that she was in the wrong field, because for the longest time she thought she would work in the business sector with her father for his firm. However a series of events led her to a large conglomerate, where she worked for three years. Making the switch took a lot of courage, and she is definitely happy that she made that change and discovered who she was meant to be. She advises anyone in the same boat to “keep at it and stay true to your own voice.”
In terms of her work and the thought process that goes into it, the balance between infusing her creativity into what her clients need is something Minal is all too familiar with.
At present, the materials Minal uses for her interior design projects are largely dependent on the concept. She explains it has to fit in line with the overall theme. This is the same approach she takes with her art as well. “For instance, I’ve used newsprint for some collages dealing with issues pertaining to the media.”
She is quick to add she’d like to get to a point where she could do more work “that harnesses local craft and makes sustainable design choices.”
One of her favourite projects she recalls was an interior project for CinDesign, which is the company she works for at present. The project was the interior for a restaurant in Colpetty. Minal explains that the idea was to make a small space feel airy and welcoming, and they also had to use local craft and sourcing materials that were in line with the startup brand. She recalls having fun, designing the outdoor swings in particular.
Despite the fun, there are also instances where she finds it a bit of a challenge, particularly the eternal juggle of pressing deadlines and working all the time.
On the flipside, she tells us the most rewarding thing is “when you finish a job and get feedback about it, whether good or bad, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you finish something!”
At present, Minal creates to survive. “I think a lot of my creativity is a reaction of me trying to deal with some major change in my life or another,” she tells us. Instead of wallowing she channels this energy into creating something positive.
“I’m not sure where I’d be if I didn’t have this gift of being able to pour myself into something creative as an outlet,” she reminisces.
To view her work, visit minalnaomi.com or her Instagram page @minalnaomidesigns