The giant head was part of Viraj’s Manas Divisariya art installation
Bakeriya is much more than a gathering place for creatives and freethinkers; it stands as a testament to the organic, nurturing environment that many art collectives in Sri Lanka have long aspired to create.
In a landscape where artistic collaboration is often hindered by egos and discord, Viraj “Raja” Liyannarachchi and his team have crafted a true community that exemplifies unity and genuine collaboration.
I followed Viraj around for two long days to understand what the Bakeriya is all about.
Giant head
The Bakeriya is situated in Mahalwarwa Road, Pannipitiya. The Liyannarachchi family were caterers and ran a bakery where the space now stands, hence the name. The old masonry oven is now defunct; a semi-rectangle of brick is what remains.
Viraj “Raja” Liyannarachchi
A giant head, balanced on a wall and a huge concrete button decorated with smaller buttons greets you as you enter Bakeriya. The head used to be part of an art installation called ‘Manas Divisariya’. “It opens up mechanically to show brains that I made out of old medicine bottles. This is the largest prop head in Sri Lanka”.
The space consists of a concert area, a kitchen, a foyer, courtyard, storeroom, studio and picnic area. Viraj is quartered in a brick cabana behind the stage. The whole property is one big art installation; covered in various murals and sculptures. The Bakeriya is currently expanding its upper floors to build hostels.
“The Bakeriya is like a bus. Some people get on, some people get off. I have been driving this bus for 32 years now,” Viraj says.
Origins
The origins of Bakeriya are pretty vague, and all point to an organic convergence of Viraj’s friends, the neighbourhood and his mother’s bakery. Viraj said that the collective started over thirty years ago when a bunch of his friends started sitting on a newly-felled tree trunk in the afternoons. This hangout eventually grew into the greater movement that is the Bakeriya today.
The neighbourhood has a history of building award winning Vesak lanterns. I was shown a picture of one of the lanterns; a 30-foot tall with three tiers. “The lantern’s panelling was painstakingly carved inch by inch. It took us six months to build this,” a Bakeriya resident said.
This Vesak lantern building expertise has its fingerprints all over Bakeriya Space, like its unique spinning lighting system over the stage.
Counter culture
In Viraj’s own words, Bakeriya stands as a counter-culture driving force. “Changing politics is an easy task, but changing culture is difficult. It needs time to develop. Power cannot change culture, but culture can change power. Our goal at Bakeriya is to change culture.
“Take for example these so-called leftist, progressive student organisations. While talking about smashing the patriarchy, they have never picked a woman to lead. It’s pretty ironic, since women are being enrolled in much higher rates in universities than men”.
Bakeriya ‘Kattiya’, as the collective is commonly known, was active during the mass protests in 2022 and had their own bureau at the Galle Face protest site. The Bakeriya people organised many creative demonstrations. The dragon head in the veranda was a prop for an anti-authoritarian play written by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake called ‘Makara Rakshaya’ and was later used as a hood ornament on a protest bus.
Down town pulse
Bakeriya also organises the Down Town Pulse event that showcases local and heterodox artists.
Stage area
The Down Town Pulse is a cumulative development that came about for a platform for underground artists, especially for the new-wave of anti-establishment creativity that trickled out of the 80s and into the 90s. “I suggested the name ‘Saturday Night Fever’ but found out that it had already been taken. Nisal Guruge said it should be called ‘Down Town Pulse’ because we were not representing anything mainstream or ‘Up Town’,” Viraj said.
“We got two guys with trash bags to start a cleanup after the show ended. But in 45 minutes, all of the attendees had pitched in and we cleaned up the whole venue,” Viraj said about this year’s Down Town Pulse that took place in Galle Fort.
The Bakeriya collective consists of 40 members with positions for various tasks. “We are registered with the Central Cultural Fund who doesn’t fail to send an annual donation when requested. I also liaison with foreign embassies and international organisations like Alliance Française, Goethe Institut and British Council who are eager to help local artists”.
The place where the oven once stood is now a workshop
Viraj is transparent about where Bakeriya is getting its money from. “Frankly, USAID provided us with the money to host the Down Town Pulse event in Galle recently”.
What the Bakeriya doesn’t do is rent out its space. Concerts, plays and rehearsals happen there frequently but those who use the space always make a personal donation in the form of cash, food and supplies.
Viraj added about the importance of taking initiative. “There is mutual aid at work here and everybody is expected to do their fair share. I set up recycling bin here and expect everybody to clean up after they are done.”
Pointing to one Bakeriya patron, Viraj started: “This man works at the local market. He is not a seller but a porter. But he doesn’t fail to bring something to the table, be it vegetables, fruit, meat and dry rations”.
Future
Bakeriya is hosting regular events this season. A rock concert on August 4 drew over a 100 people and an exciting new play by actor Jehan Appuhami is scheduled to take place on September 7.
As the community goes on in its day to day activities, Viraj says he won’t be part of Bakeriya for long as he will retire at the age of 50, while assuring that he won’t exit the world of art.
However, the rest of the community rubbishes this claim and say that Viraj Aiyya and Bakeriya cannot be separated and are one in the same.
Viraj disagrees. “I’m setting an example to those geriatric politicians who hold on to power. I’m leaving Bakeriya for the younger generation”.
He vowed to build one last Vesak lantern before leaving.
Pix: Nissanka Wijyeratne
