Kala Pola : Bringing artistes and art lovers together

“What was really interesting about Kala Pola was the quality and diversity of art that could be seen at the fair,” said Chief Guest at Kala Pola Australian High Commissioner Bryce Hutchesson.

Kala Pola 2017, which was held for the 24 th time, saw 330 artists display their work along Ananda CoomaraswamyMawatha, Colombo 7 on Sunday, January 22. An opportunity for Sri Lankan artists to sell their work to a large crowd, the organizers were proud to note that the event has grown tenfold over the years since its inception in 1993.

Alongside the popular oil and acrylic paintings and sculptures, this year there were many artists who sold artwork painted on clay pots and wood which looked like the traditional temple paintings of ancient Sri Lanka. Also present was assemble art – figures made by assembling metal pieces together to form a final figure.

The official ceremony gave foreign visitors to the fair a glimpse of Sri Lankan music and dance as well. The image of young dancers twirling drums on the tips of a long pole and catching them with easy expertise is a familiar sight for regular visitors of Kala Pola, but a spellbinding sight nonetheless.

As usual, Kala Pola drew a large crowd of art lovers to Ananda CoomaraswamyMawatha to purchase and admire
Sri Lankan art.