The Ceramic Fundraiser Uplifting a New Generation of Sri Lankan Artists
Event Details
17-19 October 2025
Saskia Fernando Gallery, 41 Horton Place, Colombo 07
At 41 Horton Place, A familiar circle of generosity begins again. From the 17th to the 19th of October, the third edition of the A4A (Artists for Artists) Production Fund Annual Fundraiser opens its doors an annual celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the enduring spirit of artists lifting one another.
This year’s edition invites twenty-one of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary artists to reimagine a simple form the unglazed ceramic bowl. In their hands, the bowl becomes something more than a vessel; it transforms into a symbol of care, imagination, and collective purpose. Each piece will be auctioned through Air Auctioneer, with every contribution flowing directly into the A4A Production Fund, Sri Lanka’s first publicly supported arts grant, sustained entirely by its own artistic community.
The bowls carry quiet poetry. Each curve represents one artist giving another the chance to grow. Founded in 2021, the A4A Fund offers a rare, homegrown alternative to international art grants, providing mentorship, production support, and exhibition opportunities for emerging artists. It was created on a belief that Sri Lankan talent should not have to wait for recognition from elsewhere that creativity thrives best when nurtured from within.
A Community of Creation
Presented at Saskia Fernando Gallery, this year’s fundraiser is more than an exhibition. It is a living portrait of generosity a space where artistic expression meets empathy. The twenty-one artists taking part include Anupa Perera, Anushiya Sundaralingam, Arjuna Gunarathne, Chamila Gamage, Chandraguptha Thenuwara, Dileepa Jeewantha, Fabienne Francotte, Firi Rahman, H. A. Karunaratne, Hashan Cooray, Hema Shironi, Jagath Ravindra, Jagath Weerasinghe, J. C. Rathnayake, Kingsley Gunatillake, Mahen Perera, Manaram Gamage, Pradeep Thalawatta, Ruwan Prasanna, Sandatharaka Abeysinghe, and Shaanea Mendis.
Together, they form a constellation of Sri Lanka’s contemporary art scene each artist contributing not only their craft but also a gesture of faith in the next generation.
The 2025/2026 Awardees
This year, four emerging artists Catharina Danial, Darshi Rathnayake, Kavishwara Jayasekara, and Rajitha Rupasinghe — have been selected from a pool of 28 applicants through an open call and independent review by an international jury comprising Jaya Asokan (India Art Fair), Theseus Chan (WORK / WERK Magazine), Selyna Peiris (Selyn Group), and Andrea Tomasi (Michelangelo Foundation).
In the coming weeks, the awardees will begin mentorship sessions, receive individual guidance, and develop new bodies of work under the Fund’s creative wing — an experience designed to shape both their art and their confidence as emerging voices.
A Legacy of Care
The A4A Production Fund is supported by the Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation, a long-standing advocate for Sri Lankan art and artists. Established in 2020 and re-envisioned following Angelika Fernando’s passing in 2022, the Foundation continues her lifelong dedication to nurturing creativity and building meaningful opportunities for artists. Today, it plays a vital role in strengthening Sri Lanka’s art ecosystem through ongoing engagement and patronage both locally and internationally.
“The A4A Production Fund is rooted in the belief that Sri Lankan artists must be empowered with resources and opportunities that enable them to create boldly,” says Saskia Fernando, Director of the Foundation. “We are deeply grateful to the artists who continue to make this possible by contributing their work in support of their peers.”
The Circle Continues
As the ceramic bowls take their place within the gallery, waiting to find new homes, the true beauty of the fundraiser lies not only in the art itself but in the spirit behind it. The A4A Annual Fundraiser has become a gentle ritual of renewal a reminder that generosity is also a form of creation, and that in Sri Lanka’s growing art landscape, community remains the most powerful form of currency.
Ruwan Prasanna, 2025, Aluyama, Acrylic on Ceramic Bowl, 26 x 13 cm
Chandraguptha Thenuwara, 2025, Neo-Glitch Arabesque, Ink on Ceramic Bowl, 26 x 13 cm
Mahen Perera, 2025, My Prison My Paradise, Mixed Media on Ceramic Bowl, 27 x 24 cm
Arjuna Gunarathne, 2025, Emerging, Acrylic on Ceramic Bowl, 26 x 13 cm
JC Ratnayake, 2025, Isomorphic, Mixed Media on Ceramic Bowl, 26 x 13 cm
Pradeep Thalawatta, 2025, Militarization is Cultured IV, Mixed Media on Ceramic Bowl, 26 x 13 cm
