KALA 2026: A shared South Asian canvas in Colombo
View(s):KALA 2026 takes off this weekend with an exciting programme of workshops, exhibitions, performances, curated walkthroughs and conversations setting the stage to position Colombo as a vital site for regional artistic exchange.
KALA 2026 is presented in collaboration with Take On Art Magazine in India bringing together leading artists, curators, scholars, and cultural practitioners from across South Asia.
Gopa Trivedi: Untitled (gold leaf, saffron and water colour on Wasli, 2021)
Khadim Ali: The Other Gods and Goddesses (machine and hand embroidery and dye ink on fabric, 2020)
At the heart of KALA 2026 is ‘Shared Ground: South Asia in Conversation’, an exhibition that approaches South Asia as a lived, material and relational space rather than a fixed identity. Across painting, drawing, textile and installation, the exhibition foregrounds material as a carrier of memory, labour, belief and consequence, inviting viewers to consider how meaning is shaped when practices are placed in relation.
The exhibition which continues until February 15, features established and mid-career artists whose practices are internationally recognised and deeply rooted in socio-political, post-colonial, ecological and material research. The participating artists are: Ahmed Rasel (Bangladesh), Eagan Badeeu (Maldives), Farhat Ali (Pakistan), Firi Rahman (Sri Lanka), Gopa Trivedi (India), Khadim Ali (Afghanistan), Kiran Maharjan (Nepal), Kishwar Kiani (Pakistan), Phurba Namgay (Bhutan),Tashi Lama (Nepal), Vibha Galhotra (India) and Marie Gnanaraj (Sri Lanka).
Consulting Editor, TAKE on Art Magazine, Tanya Dutt leads two curatorial walk-throughs of the exhibition at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. today (Sunday).
At 11.30 a.m. ‘Ripple Sail for Reconciliation’ – a panel discussion on memory, domestic space, personal histories, and reconciliation across South Asia will be held at Level 2, 138 Galle Road, Colombo 3, and will feature artists Pradeep Thalawatta, Gopa Trivedi, Hamra Abbas and Hasini Haputhanthri, moderated by Puja Vaish.
Later this afternoon at 3.30 p.m. at the same venue, ‘Carriers of Creative Force’ – a panel discussion on material heritage, collecting, public art and contemporary South Asian creativity will see Vibha Galhotra, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, Kailash K. Shrestha, Indira Kithsiri and Firi Rahman sitting down with Pujan Gandhi.
Carriers of Creative Force will examine how contemporary creators negotiate global influences while grounding their work in local histories and community relationships. It aims to elucidate how creativity nurtures and nourishes dialogue across borders and disciplines.
KALA 2026 reflects a shared commitment by TAKE on Art and KALA South Asia to long-term regional dialogue, critical exchange, and sustainable artistic platforms.
Some events require pre – registration: Please see: www.kalasouthasia.com
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