By Tahnee Hopman
With its swaying palm trees and sparkling white sands, the beaches of Kalpitiya are a perfect place to relax and unwind.
Reflecting their surroundings, the residents of Kalpitiya are also laidback and relaxed, content with the simple lives they lead.
And in the village of Erumbukudal, at nearby Ethale, life has been going on in much the same way. But there is a difference for the place will soon be a vibrant, bustling hub of artistic and commercial activity, centered on traditional handicrafts. According to Senaka De Silva, a leading Colombo-based art, fashion and design personality, the folk of Erumbukudal have a style of their own.
“The people here are sophisticated in their own way,” says Senaka. They incorporate as much colour as they can into their lifestyles. And they wear it for their pleasure and entertainment, rather than for anyone else.”
The artist and designer sees not just the beauty of Kalpitiya and its people, but also the great potential there. Most of the residents are extremely poor, he admits, but points out that the answer to their problems lies in their own backyards. With its abundance of raw materials, Kalpitiya is the perfect place to revive many of Sri Lanka’s dying handicrafts and neglected textile-making skills, he says.
Senaka has worked as a consultant designer for the Ministry of Textile Industry Development, the National Handicrafts Board of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Cooperative Textile Union Limited. With his years of experience in the field, he has a clear picture of the local textiles and handicraft industry, and what needs to be done to take it forward.
Senaka had long had a dream to set up a foundation that would focus on handicrafts development and help empower the people of Kalpitiya. This dream is now being fulfilled with the establishment of the Senaka De Silva Design Foundation.
“It has been one of my dreams to establish a foundation of my own, so I can give back to the people something based on my experiences as a designer,” Senaka says. “It would be a modest-sized place, with staff and facilities to encourage people to try something different as a potential livelihood.”
Senaka’s home is filled with examples of traditionally made handicrafts, creations fashioned out of the most basic of natural raw materials: sarees, shawls, dresses, tapestries, cushions, bags, baskets, clay ornaments. Every item bears the stamp of quality.Senaka believes that the traditional skills that have gone into the creation of such beautiful but increasingly rare handicrafts can be revived by talented people, given the materials, tools, guidance and encouragement. There is a potentially big market out there for such handicrafts.
“If marketed properly, our products could sell overseas as well, and not be limited to tourist shops around the country,” he says.
Senaka points to a row of clay ornaments on a shelf – figurines of animals, their designs dating back to the Kelaniya era. This particular art form, in danger of going extinct, is showing signs of reviving. There is a slowly growing market demand for such items.
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| Senaka mingles with the participants at the workshop held at the Kalpitiya Town Hall |
The sarees in Senaka’s collection are unique. He opens out one, a rich black fabric closely worked in blue and gold. He says a saree like that would take two months to complete, and could sell for Rs. 20,000.
As additional support to the industry, Senaka wants to launch a programme to reduce the use of pesticides and harmful chemicals used in farming. These chemicals affect the quality of the natural raw materials used in handicrafts. In this connection, Senaka is working closely with the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (MWRAF), a non-government organisation engaged in community development and humanitarian programmes and has also enlisted the support of Maeve Martenstyn of Serendib International Private Limited to hold training programmes on organic farming. to encourage farmers to use natural organic fertilisers to grow fruit and vegetables for the export market.
If all goes well, the new centre should be up and running shortly. Senaka will be joined by a group of volunteers at the centre, who will provide training for people of all ages and from all walks of life. Their aim is to revive a dying industry, one that could signal the start of a better life for the people of Kalpitiya.
“All it takes is a little innovation, and being open to trying something different,” Senaka says. “These are all very traditional designs, with a contemporary twist. The possibilities when you combine the two are boundless.”
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