UK textile award for Thenuwara
Chandramani Thenuwara flanked by the Chairman of the Textile Institute, UK, Helen Rowe and Professor Rohana U Kuruppu, Chairman of the Textile Institute-Sri Lanka
Well known Sri Lankan textile designer and chartered textile technologist, Chandramani Thenuwara was awarded the Institute Medal for Design 2019 by the Textile Institute UK on May 23 at a ceremony held in the UK. She is the first Sri Lankan to receive the award.
The Textile Institute, UK, is involved in promoting professionalism within the textile industry worldwide and annually offers medals and awards to individuals and organisations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the textile industries and the work of the Textile Institute itself, under the authority of the Textile Institute Council.
Inaugurated in 1971, the Institute Medal for Design received by Ms.Thenuwara, is presented in recognition of professional designers or groups of designers who have devoted themselves to, and made substantial contributions in the field of textile design and design management.
After completing the Charter exams in the early 1970s held by the Institute under the authority of Royal Charter, Ms.Thenuwara was granted institute membership and was constantly updated by the Institute on new trends of textile technology. “When I saw the award criteria for 2019 I thought that I qualify for it and that could also bring recognition to Sri Lankan hand-woven textile industry,” says Ms.Thenuwara.
Considering her contribution to Sri Lankan handloom industry as a textile designer at the Department of Small Scale Industries and her role in educating a young generation of designers, Prof.Rohana Kuruppu, Chairman of the Textile Institute-Sri Lanka Section nominated Ms.Thenuwara for the award.
The medal was presented by the Chairman of the Textile Institute UK, Helen Rowe. Significantly, the shaded multicoloured saree Ms.Thenuwara wore for the award ceremony belongs to her 1980s original collection of shaded spectrum colour hand-woven sarees.
The award ceremony took place at the Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester – coincidentally the town where she attended Salford College of Technology in 1969 and Ms. Thenuwara was happy and excited to revisit Salford 50 years later, reviving memories of her college days. “It was a small town with little corner shops, groceries and bakeries back then. Now it is beautifully modernised,” Ms.Thenuwara said.
Apart from the National Award presented by the Department of Textile Industries, Sri Lanka in 2017 and the Lifetime Award presented by the Department of Integrated Design, University of Moratuwa last year, Ms.Thenuwara is deeply appreciative of the international award for a special reason. Expressing her gratitude to the rural weavers in Sri Lanka, Ms Thenuwara said she hoped that her award would make present day students aspire to achieve international recognition.
A visiting lecturer in the Fashion and Textile Design course at the University of Moratuwa, she is Chairperson of the board of trustees of the Cora Abraham Art Classes for children.