Laki Senanyake Mural Conservation

Restoration and conservation of Laki Senanayake’s iconic 1975 mural at Lunuganga was completed in late 2025.

Located on the wall of the gatehouse loggia overlooking the ‘ha-ha’ (sunken road), the mural presents a dramatic battle scene inspired by Vedic legends. Executed using refined, conventionalised techniques drawn from ancient wall painting traditions, it reflects Laki’s ability to reinterpret historical visual languages within a contemporary context. While he worked across a wide range of media and styles, the dynamism of this composition—particularly in the rendering of warriors—echoes across his broader practice, including his 1961 drawing Portuguese Arriving in a Cloud and the sculptural metal handrail of the main staircase at the Bawa-designed Lighthouse Hotel (1995).

Commenced in 1969, the mural was developed over a period of fourteen years. Decades of exposure to the elements resulted in the gradual fading of its illustrations and distinctive palette of blues, browns, and yellows.

Beginning his artistic career in 1957 as part of the Young Artist Group, Laki’s multidisciplinary practice spanned murals, sculpture, architecture, landscape design, batik, drawing, and painting, moving fluidly between abstract, naturalistic, and surrealist modes. He worked closely with Geoffrey Bawa throughout much of his career—initially as a draftsman, and later as a key collaborator contributing murals and sculptural elements to numerous Bawa-designed sites.

The Trust undertook the conservation of the mural in collaboration with experienced conservator Ajith Jayasundara and his team. Over a three-month period, the project involved both the careful restoration of the painting and essential structural conservation of the surrounding wall and roof of the verandah, ensuring the long-term protection of the work.