Tilak Samarawickrema’s solo exhibition, ‘Rekha’, is on display at the PRSFG. This presentation unites Samarawickrema’s tapestries, line drawings, etchings, animated films, and sculptural works created between 1970 and 2025, showcasing the depth and breadth of his multi-disciplinary practice.
Tilak Samarawickrema
Over his nearly six-decade career, he has fluidly navigated various disciplines, rooted in heritage, while synthesizing a distinct visual language influenced by European design movements. Through collaborations with artisans, he has reinterpreted geometry, color, and space, transforming traditional techniques and motifs into a contemporary artistic language that resonates in today’s global landscape.
Samarawickrema’s artistic journey began as an architectural student in Italy during the 1970s, where he explored the curvilinear qualities of the Sinhala alphabet and Sri Lankan mural painting. His drawings and etchings capture the animated essence of folk imagery, particularly inspired by the fable of the court jester, Andare.
In 1974, he expanded on this theme with an animated film based on his line drawings, which featured as an Italian entry at the Oberhausen Film Festival. Renowned designer Bruno Munari praised Samarawickrema’s drawing style, highlighting its engaging and interactive nature that invites viewers to participate in the visual narrative.
Among Samarawickrema’s most iconic creations are the contemporary Dumbara tapestries crafted with weavers from Talagune, Udadumbara, over 35 years following his return to Sri Lanka. Influenced by the Italian radical design movement of the 1970s, these tapestries combine bold and geometric designs with traditional techniques, earning global acclaim and exhibition at prestigious design museums, including the Deutsches Textilmuseum in Krefeld and the Norsk Form Design Museum in Oslo. ‘Rekha’ will be on view at PRSFG, 138 Gallery Road, until May 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
