Darshi Keerthisena
As a toddler, Darshi Keertisena often hated wearing clothes and instead preferred fabrics over fashion, drawn to the textures, patterns, and feel of different materials. That early obsession would go on to shape her entire life. Born in Koswadiya, Marawila - a quiet, peaceful village surrounded by nature - Darshi grew up seeing fabric not as a material, but as a story, a feeling, and a possibility. Surrounded by the colourful fabrics drying in the sun and the laughter of artisans, the workshop itself became her first classroom and home.
Her journey today has taken Sri Lankan batik far from its village roots to Buckingham Palace, the Met Gala and the fashion weeks of Colombo. Yet her path is rooted in a family story that began decades before her. In the early 1970s, her parents, Buddhi and Ranasiri Keerthisena, sparked what would become Buddhi Batiks almost by accident. A batik shirt commissioned by her mother as a birthday gift wasn’t ready in time. Rather than wait, Buddhi suggested, “Let’s make our own.” That one shirt became the birth of Buddhi Batiks, and over five decades later, their daughter carries that spark forward - with courage and creativity, unmistakably making it her own and relevant to today’s world.
From Koswadiya to the World
Darshi finds inspiration everywhere, from everyday details to unexpected sources - pop art, comic books, rustic landscapes, architecture, and moments noticed on a beach. Each observation becomes a seed, growing into colour and texture.
Fashion, for Darshi, is a way to give form to ideas and memories. Her collections speak - they whisper nostalgia, tell stories of Sri Lanka, and invite people to feel joy. While the locations and audiences may change, from Colombo to international runways, the soul of Sri Lankan craft remains at their heart.
These sparks of inspiration find their way into her studio, where the seeds take shape in wax, dye, and fabric.
A day in the studio is never the same for Darshi. Some days are spent immersed in a collection, others are focused on custom bridal pieces. Sometimes she is researching or walking in nature for ideas or with the artisans, at our workshop in Koswadiya, watching the batiks drying in the sun and breeze. And at other times, she faces a blank canvas - moments that are always changing and that inspire her.
She thrives on unpredictability. Unexpected results and surprises along the way bring batik to life.
Even when accidents happen and a design doesn’t turn out as imagined, it can become a favourite. Through these moments of discovery, she knows a piece is complete - when it feels alive and ready to tell its story.
The Language of Batik
Darshi sees batik not just as a tradition to preserve, but as a universal design language, reimagined with endless possibilities. Beyond clothing, batik appears in interiors - from wall art to tiles, umbrellas, and everyday objects - showing its versatility as part of daily life. For her, batik can move from village workshops to global runways, luxury hotels, and contemporary homes, serving as a form of soft diplomacy that communicates Sri Lankan creativity to the world.
Her dream collection reflects this philosophy: designs that combine high fashion with artisanal craft and luxury with the heart of the village. Each piece carries skill, soul, and authenticity - and today, batik is more than craft; it has become a lifestyle.
Wearing Batik, Living Batik
Darshi embodies her brand. When asked which design feels most like her, she points to a hand-drawn batik sari - strong and classic, with unexpected colours and drapes, a piece that truly reflects her.
If she could design for anyone in history, she would choose Queen Anula of Anuradhapura, South Asia’s first female monarch over two thousand years ago - bold, powerful, and unapologetic, and someone she imagines would wear batik with real authority.
If not a designer, she would have been a photographer - another way of capturing emotion, whether in fabric or in an image that freezes a moment in time.
The piece she would send back to her younger self is a bold batik blazer paired with a sarong from her collection. She imagines her younger self looking at it and saying, “Wow, so we continued to make batik powerful and cool!”
A Living Craft
From a single birthday shirt to international recognition, Darshi carries the legacy forward, reimagining the craft for today while keeping its heritage intact.
What once began in Indonesia centuries ago - a craft of patterns, wax, and dye - eventually found its way to Sri Lanka. Over the years, it has continued to live and breathe through Buddhi Batiks - and through Darshi Keerthisena, who has turned it into a vibrant fashion statement of Sri Lanka.
Batik by the Beach: Island Life
Darshi Keerthisena’s latest collection, Island Life, carries the same nostalgia that runs through all her work - this time drawing on seaside memories. Golden sands, swaying coconut trees, salty hair, and the rhythm of ocean waves. Each piece whispers joy and playfulness, capturing the carefree magic of island life. The collection turns batik into a canvas for memory, inviting wearers to feel the sun on their skin, the sea in their hair, and the timeless charm of Sri Lanka’s shores.
batik making process
