The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is excited to be hosting its first Akuru Sketch Meet, a fun, casual gathering for anyone interested in drawing expressive letters. 

Indika Jayatilake, designer and founding member of the Akuru Collective, will introduce how letters are seen and perceived, and how tweaking their form can add a whole new layer of meaning.

The participants will then create a series of one-minute expressive letter sketches, each guided by a fun, quirky prompt.

Indika is a brand identity designer with a background in advertising. He is a typography enthusiast and a founding member of Akuru Collective, a community bringing people together to inspire interest in language and type. He currently works as a Brand Designer and a Creative Team Lead at 1705 Studio.

Branding is more than just what people see: the logo, a colour palette, and a type suite. A brand is what people feel, built detail by detail in the spaces they move through. 

In this Design Talk, CEO and Studio Director of Studio Nice One, Amy Quickfall, will discuss an approach to brand building that encompasses the entire philosophy and culture of an organisation beyond just the visual identity.  

Drawing on her own hospitality and F&B projects, Amy will unpack how experiential branding beyond a logo turns identity into something people remember, return to, and feel deeply connected to.

Amy Quickfall is CEO and Founder of Studio Nice One, Sri Lanka's first branding-focused studio, now in its 8th year and with a portfolio of 130+ hospitality and food and beverage clients across Sri Lanka and internationally. Originally from the UK, she brings 15+ years of industry experience in strategy, identity, and packaging design to create brands that people really connect with.

The Geoffrey Bawa Design Talks are supported by Lanka Tiles.

Since the 1920s, a visual culture of queer ecological art has crafted an aesthetics of abundance in Sri Lanka. 

Join art historian Dr Edwin Coomasaru for a look at the relationships between gender, sexuality, capitalism, and climate in recent exhibitions: Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s Idols of Mud and Water at Glasgow Tramway (2023-24), alongside Chathuri Nissansala in The Order of Nature at Lunuganga (2023-24) and Ritualising Mutant Encounters (2024) at Barefoot. 

Drawing on Geoffrey Bawa’s own queer environmental framings, this lecture will situate Nithiyendran and Nissansala’s work in relation to contemporaneous events: from Aragalaya-Porattam protests and Jaffna Queer Festival’s ‘queer ecology’ theme in 2022, to ongoing attempts to decriminalise homosexuality as ‘against the order of nature’ under the 1883 British Penal Code. Where colonialism and ethnonationalism manufactured structures of social and environmental scarcity, Nithiyendran and Nissansala build imaginative worlds of abundance.

Dr Edwin Coomasaru is a Mid-Career Fellow at Yale University’s Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Lecturer in History of Art at the University of Bristol, Visiting Fellow at University College London, and Reviews Editor for Visual Culture in Britain. Coomasaru is currently writing a book on Queer Ecologies and Abundant Aesthetics in Sri Lankan Art, 1926-2024.

In today’s digital culture, storytelling is often driven by viral trends, audio overlays, and fast-paced edits. While these tools are popular, they also distract from a deeper observation and understanding of spaces.

Join GBT Youth Collective member Vihanga Jayaweera and filmmaker Hari Jashwanth for a hands-on session that follows a core framework of learning, sharing, and creating.

Spaces are fundamentally experienced through light, material, movement, sound, and time. Video is a medium uniquely capable of capturing these dynamic, sensory elements as they unfold. However, capturing the essence of a space does not require elaborate technology or artificial spectacle; it involves allowing yourself the time to be truly present.

Geoffrey Bawa’s architecture demonstrates how spaces can tell powerful, lasting stories through contextual materials, spatial sequencing, and genuine human experience. Inspired by this philosophy, this workshop aims to teach young creatives how to observe and communicate architectural spaces through pure visual storytelling.

Workshop participants will learn how to create meaningful storytelling without expensive tools or fleeting trends, and by tapping into sensitivity, curiosity, and awareness.

Hari Jashwanth is a filmmaker and content creation specialist with four years of experience crafting stories that go beyond chasing trends to create lasting impact. From 2021 until 2025, he conceptualised and ran end-to-end production of two video podcasts for Goodlife X (GLX). As the video production lead for GLX, he produced a mini-documentary capturing the reflections of the creatives who took in the Creative Catalyst Fellowship residency. Hari has also worked as a freelancer on various projects from sportswear-athleisure fashion videography and notably as a line producer for an international concert tour film (Hip Hop Tamizha - TO BE LOVED (Sri Lanka and Singapore Edition). He has also taken part and completed the 4dayfilmmaker course by Hollywood AD Chris Burgess, where he collaborated on a short film project that is currently in final edit.

Join Mooniak co-founder and exhibition co-curator Kosala Senevirathne  for a Sinhala tour of the Akurugraphy exhibition. With a focus on his native script, Sinhala, Kosala’s practice spans typeface design, typographic research, and multiscript editorial design. He is guided by a commitment to bridging communication gaps among Sri Lanka’s official languages.

The tour will conclude with  a demonstration of the antique Albion Press by Sajaan Peiris, curator of the W A Silva Museum and restorer of the Albion Press currently on display at Akurugraphy. The Albion Press is an  early iron hand letterpress originally designed and manufactured in London. Letterpress printing on machines such as the Albion was the dominant industrial printing technique worldwide until the late 1970s.

Join the first children’s tour of the new Akurugraphy exhibition. This fun,  interactive exhibition combines lessons on the history of typography and discussion on the role of fonts in everyday life. Kids will learn about how fonts are made, have a chance to interact with the exhibits on display, and take part in a fun craft-related activity.  

The morning is all about introducing children to the world of letters and fonts that fill our world, giving them a chance to play and explore, and tapping into their creativity. 

The tour and activity will run for approximately one hour, and drinks and snacks will be provided. The activity is designed for primary school-aged children with a parent, guardian, or carer. Younger and older siblings are welcome.  

Typography is more than creating and utilising different fonts; it encompasses culture, communication, and creativity. Led by members of the Akuru Collective, this workshop will introduce participants to the world of typography, with special focus on woodblocks and letterpress printing.

The Akuru Collective is a community that brings together people who are passionate about lettering, type design, visual communication, and the stories behind written forms. Participants will join the Akuru Collective at the W. A. Silva Museum for Language, Literature and Typography for a guided session on restoring Sinhala woodblock type and the art of letterpress printing.

Admission is free with prior registration.

The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is pleased to host its very first font launch party!

The Mooniak team will be releasing three new fonts to the public and designers Janaka Attanayake, Pathum Egodawatta, and Rajitha Manamperi will talk about their work and the process behind font design.

This event is a unique opportunity for participants to meet and talk with type designers and purchase special release-day merchandise from Mooniak.

Admission is free with prior registration

Join Mooniak co-founder, type designer, exhibition co-curator Pathum Egodawatta for the first curatorial tour of the new Akurugraphy exhibition at the Bawa Space. Pathum will discuss how global platforms have become sites of cultural negotiation, where decisions about the legibility of language carry deep consequences for who is seen, who is heard, and whose language endures.

Pathum specializes in type and typography of South Asian scripts with a focus on Sinhala and Tamil scripts, and multilingual communications. He has a Masters in Typeface Design from the University of Reading  and a Bachelors in Graphic Design from the Academy of Design (AOD).

Join Ananda Jagoda for an in-depth look at the world of graphic design prior to the widespread use of computers.

In conversation with Akurugraphy co-curator Pathum Egodawatta, Ananda Jagoda will discuss the realities of working in the graphic design field and the changes and developments in the industry over the past few decades, including the transition to an increasingly digital-first era.   

Through a show-and-tell format, Ananda will present a fascinating selection of material from his personal collection, exploring the era of phototypesetting, paste-up artwork, and pre-digital design production. He will share how designers worked by hand before computers transformed the creative industry, and how he transitioned from traditional design techniques into the digital era, , eventually becoming the Chief Creative Officer at one of Sri Lanka’s leading annual report design and production agencies.

Ananda has extensive experience in photography, advertising, publishing, and creative strategy. He has also served as a judge for international award programs and is the author of the book Professional Photography.  

This talk is part of the ongoing Akurugraphy exhibition at the Bawa Space, curated by the Colombo-based type foundry Mooniak.

Font files can appear quickly, but building a font industry involves shared understanding, professional value, practical goals, and long-term infrastructure. Join Bangkok-based designer and founder of Cadson Demak Studio Anuthin Wongsunkakon for an evening of discussion and insight on the font industry.  

Specialising in typography and brand identity, Anuthin’s work spans custom typefaces, Thai adaptations of international type families, and typographic solutions for Southeast Asian scripts. Profiling case studies and lessons learned, Anuthin will map the three steps in meaningful font development: (i) building value; (ii) creating specificity; and (iii) enabling strategy. 

This event is presented in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo.

Join members of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust curatorial team and exhibition designers, Thilini Perera and Ibraheem Wazil for a unique behind-the-scenes look at Akurugraphy, with a special focus on the exhibition's visual design and spatial layout explores how graphic design, typography, exhibition architecture, and interpretation come together to shape the visitor experience, offering insight into the curatorial and design decisions that informed the exhibition from concept to installation.

Admission is free with prior registration

Join type designer and educator Tanya George for a virtual tour of the Letterform Archive, a centre for inspiration, education, publishing, and community in graphic design based in San Francisco.

On this tour, Tanya will delve into graphic design history through Letterform Archive’s permanent collection. From medieval manuscripts to digital type, witness an inspiring range of human expression through design.

Letterform Archive’s virtual tours provide participants with special access to digitised items unavailable to the general public. It is also an opportunity to hear from a highly experienced independent typographer, and learn more about the Archive’s collection of over 100,000 items related to lettering, typography, calligraphy, and graphic design, spanning thousands of years of history.

Join us for the annual Geoffrey Bawa Memorial Lecture to be delivered by renowned architect Junya Ishigami.

Founder of the junya.ishigami+associates architectural firm, Ishigami is known for his large scale projects that beautifully entwine natural surroundings within built structures.  Some of his notable works include the Kanagawa Institute of Technology KAIT Workshop / KAIT Plaza, the Park Groot Vijversburg Visitor Center, MIZUNIWA, the Serpentine Pavilion 2019, House & Restaurant, and the Zaishui Art Museum. 

Ishigami has been honored with several prestigious awards, including: the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize (2009); the Golden Lion award for the best project at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (2010); the Mainichi Design Award (2010); the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists (of fine arts); the OBEL Award by the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation (2019); the Frederick Kiesler Prize for Architecture and the Arts (2024); and the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize (2024). He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (2025) and received the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize (2026).

The 2026 Geoffrey Bawa Memorial Lecture is supported by Lanka Tiles.

Join calligraphy artist Amaani A. Hamid for a guided workshop on the art and practice of Arabic calligraphy. Participants will be introduced to the rich history of Arabic calligraphy and its evolution into contemporary typography and graphic design. 

Through foundational strokes and guided exercises, participants will explore how simple gestures can generate expressive letterforms, patterns, and personal visual interpretations. The workshop encourages experimentation with shape, rhythm, and mark-making, offering a new view into Arabic calligraphic forms. 

Workshop materials will be provided. This session is open to all interested and no prior knowledge of Arabic is required. 

Email events@geoffreybawa.org to secure your spot. Scholarships available.

Join type designers Pushpananda Ekanayaka and Pathum Egodawatte for an evening of typographic discussion.

Pushpanada has been at the forefront of digital font development in Sri Lanka and is known for his development of common FM fonts, including Abhaya FM. Pathum co-founded the type foundry and design studio Mooniak, commissioned by Google to develop an open source Sinhala typeface with companion Latin letterforms for the web. 

In this talk, Pushpanada and Pathum will discuss the collaborative process involved in the development of Google’s Abhaya Libre. They will also look at the realities of working in the typographic field and the changes and developments in the fonts industry over the past few decades, including the transition into an increasingly digital-first era, and challenges surrounding copyright and licensing of their work.   

Join Kosala Senevirathne — Mooniak co-founder and exhibition co-curator — for the first Sinhala tour of the Akurugraphy exhibition. With a focus on his native script, Sinhala, Kosala’s practice spans typeface design, typographic research, and multiscript editorial design. He is guided by a commitment to bridging communication gaps among Sri Lanka’s official languages.

Kosala’s Sinhala exhibition tour will include a demonstration of the antique Albion Press currently on display at Akurugraphy. An early iron hand letterpress, the Albion Press was originally designed and manufactured in London. Letterpress printing on machines such as the Albion was the dominant industrial printing technique worldwide until the late 1970s.

Join interior designer Avisha De Saram for an evening of insight and discussion into the art of transforming spaces into visual narratives.

Drawing on her extensive career in Sri Lanka’s creative industry, Avisha will discuss the connection between designing with intention and creating spaces that use storytelling as both a methodology and a design metaphor.

Inspired by Sri Lanka’s environment, culture, and heritage crafts, Avisha uses an integrated design approach that seamlessly draws together different styles and influences. Rather than designing for fashion or fad, Avisha’s spaces are grounded in space and speak to the community they are intended to serve. 

This talk is an opportunity for participants to gain insight into Avisha’s design approach and discuss the benefits of designing for place and people.

Join Mooniak co-founder, type designer, exhibition co-curator Pathum Egodawatta for the first curatorial tour of the new Akurugraphy exhibition at the Bawa Space. Pathum will discuss how global platforms have become sites of cultural negotiation, where decisions about the legibility of language carry deep consequences for who is seen, who is heard, and whose language endures.

Pathum specializes in type and typography of South Asian scripts with a focus on Sinhala and Tamil scripts, and multilingual communications. He has a Masters in Typeface Design from the University of Reading  and a Bachelors in Graphic Design from the Academy of Design (AOD).

Focusing on the new Arkurugraphy exhibition, this interactive session uses storytelling and art to explore how exhibitions are designed and the unique roles of different people involved in the process.

Arkurugraphy examines the history, development, and application of Sinhala, Tamil, and Latin typography in Sri Lanka and showcases letterforms across the three languages through typography, archival research, software development, and script standardisation

The children will then be invited to contribute a piece of typography-inspired work to be displayed in the Bawa Space craft room.

This event features Realms of the Real, a film exploring how four artists from around the globe incorporate culture into their respective art forms. The viewing will be followed by a guided discussion on the role of culture in contemporary Sri Lankan art.

The internationally acclaimed artists in “Realms of the Real” conduct extensive historical research, examine the nuances of culture and identity, and explore the boundaries of art and science to create worlds of fantasy and fiction that expand our understanding of ourselves and our world. These four artists expand on the realities of shared history and experience to create fantastical and speculative worlds, offering new possibilities for culture, identity, and the future.

Realms of the Real is presented courtesy of Art21’s Screening Society, a program that welcomes local communities to gather and watch films about art together.

Following a panel organised by Hans Ulrich Obrist at the Venice Biennale, Rirkrit continues to think about how people constitute architecture: through using, inhabiting, and moving through space; by spending time, associating, and simply being in it. Rirkrit will introduce these ideas through a presentation of his past and present work.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo.

Image: Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Anette Aurell.

Join Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator at M+, Hong Kong, for a special talk on Isamu Noguchi’s transdisciplinary work in sculpture, design, and landscape architecture. M+ holds over 36 works and a permanent ‘Playscape’ garden by the Japanese American artist.

Isamu Noguchi famously referred to his larger spatial works comprising multiple objects as gardens–suggesting that plants were optional in a garden, but what mattered was the ability to contemplate “the relative in space, time and life.” Noguchi’s work in landscape architecture was in a continuum with other mediums, genres, and disciplines he worked in, such as modernist sculpture and industrial design. Ultimately, his vision was a transdisciplinary one, perhaps in reflection of his transcultural background. In that sense, Noguchi remains, like Geoffrey Bawa, a lodestar for navigating contemporary discourse on creative practice.

Doryun Chong was appointed as the inaugural Chief Curator in 2013, he oversees all curatorial activities and programmes at the museum. He has curated or co-curated critically acclaimed exhibitions for M+, including Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint (2018), Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now (2022), and Picasso for Asia—A Conversation (2025). Prior to joining M+, Chong worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

This event is supported by the Graham Foundation and is part of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust’s On Gardens series. It follows a talk by Isabela Ono on the work of Roberto Burle Marx.

Image: Isamu Noguchi, ‘M+ Playscape’, West Kowloon, Hong Kong © The Noguchi Museum / ARS. Photo © Lok Cheng.

Located in the heart of Bangkok, Lumphini Park plays a crucial role in the city's social, economic, and environmental well-being, benefiting both residents and local wildlife. Established by King Vajiravudh (King Rama VI) in 1926, Lumphini Park celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026 as Thailand's first public park

In this talk, Dr Pramote Triboun, a senior scientist and Head of the Plant Seed Bank at the National Biobank of Thailand, will explore some key lessons on planting and managing urban green space from Lumphini Park. The discussion will look at the importance of urban ecology and green infrastructure in a metropolitan city and consider their role in meeting the challenges of the next century. 

Lumphini Park was originally designed for a national exhibition to boost the economy. The 140-acre oasis in central Bangkok serves as vital green infrastructure, providing a range of ecosystem services. The centennial marks the park’s transition into a modern, sustainable, and "Smart Park" for the future. 

As cities become more densely populated and concerns over climate change impacts intensify, urban parks are recognised as powerful tools for communities and local economies. At the same time, they provide essential recreational opportunities, increase property values, boost the local economy, and protect cities from environmental hazards.

Dr Triboun holds a PhD from the Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, and has decades of experience in botanical research and conservation, including the description of several new-to-science species. He is also a member of the board of botany of the Royal Society of Thailand and of the Natural History section of the Siam Society. Dr Triboun has also served on the steering committee and as a juror for the Thai exhibition of the renowned Botanical Art Worldwide network, which was held at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in 2025.

This talk is supported by Siam Nivasa Colombo

This interactive session uses storytelling and exploration to introduce children to the basics of architectural design, raise awareness of the spaces they inhabit, and consider how design can offer solutions to everyday needs.

Part of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust’s Saturday Story Club, this session will explore the Bawa-designed Kannangara House (now the Geoffrey Bawa Space) and examine how the building was reimagined from house to workplace.

This one-hour event invites children aged 5–12 to reimagine spaces and create their own “dream” houses. Refreshments will be provided, and adults are required to remain on the premises throughout the programme. Older and younger siblings are also welcome.

Join us in April for the first in our new series of Design Talks at the Bawa Space. This ongoing series will feature architects, designers, artists, and researchers from across Sri Lanka. 

This design talk by Indudunu Kariyawasam presents a journey through a series of architectural photographs from his work. Moving across projects, it reflects on the quiet importance of architecture and the sense of joy found in shaping space. Through close attention to detail, material, and spatial experience, the work reveals an ongoing search for a certain kind of serenity. It also considers how these spaces are formed with care and intention, and how an honest approach to making allows them to unfold with clarity and meaning.

Indudunu Kariyawasam is a Sri Lankan architect whose work brings together traditional sensibilities and modernist clarity. Based in Galle and Colombo, his practice spans residential, hospitality, and commercial projects, with a focus on functional design, material honesty, and craftsmanship. His work is defined by a restrained, considered approach, resulting in spaces that are both modern and quietly poetic. He apprenticed with Anura Ratnavibhushana and worked as a project architect at Palinda Kannangara Architects from 2017 to 2020, experiences that continue to inform his approach to practice.

What does it mean to design for ecological coexistence?

Join architect Sunela Jayewardene and ecologist Chaturangi Wickramaratne for an open discussion on how design can meet the needs of both humans and nature.

This panel is the first in a series of events that will expand upon and illustrate the Moonamal Award’s vision of ‘design for ecological coexistence’. These events aim to catalyse new conversations around how interdisciplinary collaboration can design projects that address the growing gap between design, ecology, and the environment.

The ‘Geoffrey Bawa Moonamal Award’ recognises projects that decentre the human, reverse anthropogenic degradation of the environment, and foster ecological regeneration through interdisciplinary collaboration for the coexistence of all lifeforms and landscapes. Nominations will open in August 2026, alongside further details on the Award fellowship.

Solve puzzles, search for clues, and find the treasure in this unique theatre performance with our friends at Clown Compass.

Join Andare the Junior and Granny Sisi for an interactive journey as they lead you through stories and secrets hidden within the Bawa Space.

This adventure is for kids aged 5-12 and their adults. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring your imagination. Admission is free, but places are limited.

The adventure will run for approximately one hour, and refreshments will be provided. Adults are expected to remain on the premises.

By registering for this event, the parent/guardian acknowledges that the Geoffrey Bawa Trust is not responsible for the child(ren).

It is also acknowledged that photographs, audio recordings, and/or video recordings of the children may be taken by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust or its authorised representatives during the programme, in accordance with the Trust’s Social Media Community Guidelines.

Celebrate the city’s vibrant creative population this March at Open House Colombo. This year’s theme, Makers’ Spaces and Other Places, invites visitors to step into a range of architectural firms, artists' studios, and home-based practices rarely open to the public. 

Locations for Sunday, 29 March 2026:

M47 Architects, Hokandara
Open Access: 9:00 – 11:00

îlot Colombo, Polgasowita
Workshop + Tour: 10:00 – 12:00

KWCA, Pelawatte
Tour: 10:00 – 11:00
Tour: 13:00 – 14:00
Tour: 15:00 – 16:00

The Living Gallery–Home of Dilsiri Welikala, Battaramulla
Tour: 11:30 – 12:30
Tour: 15:30 – 16:30

Lala Studio, Pannipitiya
Tour: 14:00 – 15:00

JC Ratnayake Artist Retreat, Hokandara
Open Access: 16:00 – 19:00