Kala Pola Archives

March 15, 2024

Kala Pola 2024 – Sri Lanka’s Annual Open Air Art Fair – held on February 18^th along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7 brought success for both artists and visitors alike, generating estimated sales of approximately Rs. 51 million, excluding commissioned artwork.

Commemorating its 31^st year, Kala Pola is Sri Lanka’s largest and longest-running platform for artists and sculptors to showcase their talent and connect with buyers, industry professionals, and the artist community. A long-term collaboration of the George Keyt Foundation and John Keells Group, the event drew a tremendous response, attracting 368 artists and an estimated 38,000 visitors (including both footfall and vehicular presence in the event area).

The official ceremony was graced by His Excellency Santosh Jha, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, as the chief guest along with Mr. Malaka Talwatte, Chairman of the George Keyt Foundation (GKF), accompanied by the trustees of GKF and Mr. Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the John Keells Group, along with members of the senior management of the Group.

In his welcome address at the official ceremony, Malaka Talwatte, GKF’s Chairperson, said, “We have had a great turnout today. We strongly believe that art is for everyone and that every artist should have the opportunity to showcase their work. That is what Kala Pola is about. This platform has had phenomenal growth over the years, mainly because of the support of our Partner, the John Keells Group. They have been instrumental in scaling this up to what you see today. From 30 artists in 1993, today we have over 350 artists showing their work.”

In his address, H.E Santosh Jha noted, “This effort is significant because it is bringing art out of the galleries to the community. The fair format you have and its uncurated exhibition blends a naturalness and spontaneity, which should be characteristic of the art forms. Art is not just for indulgence, it’s much more. It can be a catalyst for social dialogue, a provocation for change, a challenge to the stereotype, and a canvas for new ideas.” He went on to commend GKF and the John Keells Group for their continued partnership which has driven the growth of Kala Pola.

Commenting on the event and the focus on arts and culture by the John Keells Group, Carmeline Jayasuriya, the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said “We are delighted with the success of Kala Pola 2024. While we have undertaken many diverse initiatives under the Arts & Culture pillar, Kala Pola remains a unique and fundamental aspect of our roadmap aimed at boosting artists’ livelihoods, safeguarding and promoting Sri Lankan arts and culture, and catalysing social cohesion and wellbeing through artistic and creative expression. We are excited about the potential of these endeavours in contributing to the growth of creative economies.”

Swarna Abeytunge, an artist who showcased her work at Kala Pola 2024 said, ‘Hats off to the organisers of Kala Pola for organising this event very methodically without any chaos! This is the only platform in Sri Lanka which gives the equal opportunity to all the artists without any discrimination. This was my first time at Kala Pola as an artist and I am glad that it ended successfully.”

The Children’s Art Corner, managed by Elephant House and conducted under the guidance of teachers from the Cora Abraham Art School, saw the participation of 165 children throughout the day and concluded with a workshop guiding children to create crafts with recycled materials. The Children’s Art Corner was graced by the Indian High Commissioner who together with the Chairpersons of the John Keells Group and George Keyt Foundation distributed gift bags and certificates to participants.

Kala Pola 2024 also featured two compelling talks: one on what contemporary art is by Dr. Priyantha Udagedera and moderated by Kasun Jayamanne, and another providing valuable insights on building an art collection by Malaka Talwatte, moderated by Nadija Tambiah, both drawing encouraging audiences.

The evening we concluded with a vibrant showcase of Sri Lankan performing arts including dance, drumming, and folk singing in a carnival-like atmosphere.

Kala Pola 2024 was supported by 123 volunteers from the John Keells Group.

The street fair continues to be complemented by https://www.srilankanartgallery.com, the digital platform hosted by the John Keells Foundation to showcase Sri Lanka’s visual artists throughout the year.

Art & Culture are one of the six focus areas of the John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 18 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through the John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

February 20, 2024

Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s Annual Open-Air Art Fair, was held on 18th February 2024, marking 31 years since its inception. Conceptualised by the George Keyt Foundation in 1993, the event has, since 1994, been held with the continued patronage and implementation support of the John Keells Group.
Kala Pola provides the country’s largest platform for visual artists to connect with buyers and the art community, providing both a marketplace and a space for knowledge transfer and collaboration, furthering the creative economy of the nation.
This year’s event showcased the works of over 350 local artists hailing from the different provinces of Sri Lanka.His Excellency Santosh Jha, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, graced the official ceremony of the event as the Chief Guest.

Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s annual open-air art fair, marks its 31st anniversary on 18th February 2024, celebrating over three decades of fostering the livelihoods of Sri Lankan visual artists.
Kala Pola takes inspiration from the world-famous outdoor art fairs in Montmartre, Paris, and the Turl Street Art Festival in Oxford and has evolved as an eagerly awaited event of the art and culture calendar of Sri Lanka.
This uncurated visual art fair aims to consistently elevate the visitor experience, expanding its reach to include more artists and attract a broader audience of both local and international art enthusiasts, consequently generating increased participation and income for the artists, not only through sales at the event but also through potential commissions thereafter.

The event’s success also stems from its networking and learning opportunities, with Kala Pola being an event at which artists from different levels of seniority and provinces of Sri Lanka converge, fostering an environment of collaboration.

The John Keells Group has funded and co-organised the event over the past three decades which has enabled Kala Pola to sustain and evolve. Kala Pola is now a major tourist attraction having established itself as one of Colombo’s iconic art events. The Sri Lankan Art Gallery – a digital art gallery hosted by John Keells Foundation free of charge to artists – provides a year-round platform for visual artists to showcase their work and engage with buyers.

The John Keells Group also strives to showcase and promote the economic potential of the country’s creative economy while supporting the development of an ecosystem that nurtures creativity.

February 2, 2024

Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s annual open-air art fair, is set to mark its 31^st anniversary on 18^th February 2024. Celebrating over three decades of fostering the livelihoods of Sri Lankan artists, Kala Pola takes inspiration from the world-famous outdoor art fairs in Montmartre, Paris, and the Turl Street Art Festival in Oxford and has evolved as an eagerly awaited event of the art and culture calendar of Sri Lanka.

The George Keyt Foundation (GKF) conceptualised and launched Kala Pola in 1993, and since 1994 it has enjoyed the sustained patronage of the John Keells Group, as part of its corporate social responsibility. This uncurated visual art fair aims to consistently elevate the visitor experience, expanding its reach to include more artists and attract a broader audience of both local and international art enthusiasts, consequently generating increased participation and income for the artists. The event’s success also stems from its networking and learning opportunities, with Kala Pola being an event at which artists from different levels of seniority and regions of Sri Lanka converge, fostering an environment of collaboration.

Malaka Talwatte, the Chairperson of the George Keyt Foundation stated, “The GKF’s core objective has always been to catalyse ‘Opportunity for Art’, particularly for local artists, and Kala Pola is a flagship endeavour in this respect. We are grateful to the John Keells Group for their continued partnership over the past three decades which has enabled Kala Pola to sustain and evolve. Kala Pola is now a major tourist attraction having established itself as one of Colombo’s iconic events.”

Nadija Tambiah, President Legal, Secretarial, and Corporate Social Responsibility at John Keells Group, emphasised, “Over its three-decade journey, Kala Pola has steadfastly provided an uncurated, dynamic platform for Sri Lankan artists, forming an integral part of John Keells Group’s commitment to fostering Sri Lanka’s Arts & Culture. The Group also strives to highlight the economic potential of the country’s creative economy while supporting the development of an ecosystem that nurtures creativity. We also hope that by providing platforms for storytelling and expression we can contribute towards a shared understanding of our nation’s history and thereby enhance our social cohesion.”

Arts & Culture is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, operating with over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 18 Years by LMD magazine. John Keells Holdings PLC was ranked first for the third consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

March 17, 2023

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The 30^th year of Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s Open Air Art Fair, was celebrated recently in a riot of colour along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 7.

A long-term collaboration of the George Keyt Foundation and John Keells Group, Kala Pola is Sri Lanka’s largest and longest-running platform for artists and sculptors to showcase their talent and connect with buyers, industry professionals and the local art community. As the first art fair held since the COVID pandemic, the event drew a tremendous response, attracting 312 adult artists and 358 child artists and an estimated 33,000 visitors.

Gayani Perera, a first-time artist participating at Kala Pola, said: “This event was a good opportunity for me to network and interact with other artists and visitors. Now I know the preferences of the visitors and can prepare better. I brought around 36 paintings and sold 22 of them. I want to thank the George Keyt Foundation as well as John Keells Foundation for this opportunity!”

The official ceremony was graced by His Excellency Paul Stephens, the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives, as the chief guest together with The George Keyt Foundation Chairman, Mr. Malaka Talwatte and other Trustees and the Chairperson of the John Keells Group, Mr. Krishan Balendra accompanied by the senior management of the John Keells Group.

Addressing the audience, H.E. Paul Stephens said, “Art and Culture are a critical component of any society and are important in aiding social development and inclusion. They are also important sectors that contribute to economic growth and development, which are of particular importance to Sri Lanka, right now.”

Krishan Balendra, the Chairperson of John Keells Holdings PLC, said “Kala Pola has evolved over the years to be the primary platform for artists from all over the country to showcase and promote their work and support their livelihoods. Art & Culture is one of the six CSR pillars of the John Keells Group under the vision of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’. We’re very proud to partner with The George Keyt Foundation as the sponsor and organiser of Kala Pola.”

Thanuja Jayawardena, a visitor to Kala Pola, shared, “It’s not an easy feat to bring together artists from all over the country, and the people who come for this event get a chance to experience and enjoy a variety of different art and styles in one stretch! I’m someone who has come to Kala Pola almost every year and made sure to find time to attend this year as well”

The 30^th year of Kala Pola was a resounding success for artists and visitors alike, generating sales estimated at Rs. 35 million excluding commissioned art. Meanwhile, 110 children were hosted at the Children’s Art Corner managed by Elephant House where budding artists could experiment with paints and clay under the guidance of Cora Abraham teachers. The event was supported by 150 John Keells Group volunteers. In addition to its focus on visual art, Kala Pola also showcased a kaleidoscope of Sri Lankan performing arts including dance, drumming and folk singing in a carnival-like atmosphere.

As a 30th year commemoration, Kala Pola 2023 featured a “Top Five Artists Award” adjudged by a panel of art experts. The winners, in no particular order, Aloka Bandara, Chaminda Bandara, Kasun Manoj, Ruwan Mahindapala and Sandeepa Vithanage were awarded trophies and certificates at the official ceremony under the sponsorship of Nations Trust Bank, Private Banking.

The street fair is complemented by https://www.srilankanartgallery.com, the digital platform hosted by John Keells Foundation to showcase Sri Lanka’s visual artists throughout the year.

Art and Culture are one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerates in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 17 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the third consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

February 21, 2023

Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s Annual Open-Air Art Fair, which was held on 19th February, celebrated its 30^th year in 2023. The event was first conceptualised by the George Keyt Foundation in 1993, and has since been held with the continued support and patronage of the John Keells Group, since 1994. Kala Pola is the country’s largest and most vibrant platform for artists to showcase their work and to interact with the art community. This year’s event showcased the talents of over 300 local artists from all over the country. His Excellency Paul Stephens, Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives, graced the event as the Chief Guest.

January 30, 2023

Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s annual open-air art fair, will celebrate 30 years of enhancing livelihoods of Sri Lankan artists in an enthralling atmosphere along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, also known as Green Path, on 19th February 2023. As Sri Lanka’s pioneering and best-known visual art fair inspired by the world-famous outdoor art fairs in Montmartre Paris and the Turl Street Art Festival in Oxford, Kala Pola 2023 will bring together various art enthusiasts from across the Island, creating a vibrant platform for artists to showcase their art to a large and enthusiastic audience.

Conceptualised and launched by the George Keyt Foundation (GKF) in 1993 and nurtured by the unbroken patronage of the John Keells Group since 1994, Kala Pola strives to elevate the visitor experience each year whilst seeking to include more artists and attract more visitors, thereby generating greater income for the artists.

Ms. Nadija Tambiah, President Legal, Secretarial and Corporate Social Responsibility at John Keells Group said, “Kala Pola is a primary initiative in John Keells Foundation’s efforts to promote and nurture Sri Lanka’s Arts & Culture. Through its three-decade existence, Kala Pola has focused on delivering an uncurated, vibrant platform for Sri Lankan artists – whether senior established artists or emerging artists – effectively forming the base of John Keells Group’s roadmap for fostering Sri Lanka’s Arts & Culture.”

Commenting on the upcoming Kala Pola open-air art fair, Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at John Keells Holdings PLC said, “Kala Pola has always sought to sustain and grow the platform to showcase Sri Lankan artists while progressively enhancing the opportunities for supporting our artists by both local and foreign audiences. Its great success also testifies to its networking and learning opportunities, not only through the one-day event but throughout the year via the digital art gallery hosted by John Keells Foundation through which virtual Kala Pola events were also conducted during the last two pandemic-affected years. With the revival of the mega event this year, we are expecting more artists to take part and more visitors to support the artist community with their valuable purchases.”

The Chairperson of the George Keyt Foundation, Mr. Michael Anthonisz said, “The core objective of the GKF has been to catalyse ‘Opportunity for Art’, particularly for Sri Lankan artists. We are truly grateful to the John Keells Group for their sustained commitment towards GKF, the artists and art community of Sri Lanka over the past three decades. A major tourist attraction, the Kala Pola brand is now unmistakable, and throughout its 30 years, has undoubtedly grown into one of Colombo’s iconic landmarks. The greatest testament to its impact is that Green Path has now turned into a permanent small-scale art market throughout the year!’’

Arts & Culture is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate on the Colombo Stock Exchange, operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 17 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

January 21, 2022

Kala Pola went online for the second time in 2021 ahead of Christmas as a month-long event held
from 28th November to 28th December. Captioned `Kala Pola Online Christmas Edition’, the event
was hosted by John Keells Foundation within its digital gallery www.srilankanartgallery.com which
provides exposure and sustainable market linkages for artists all throughout the year.

Kala Pola, which was conceptualized and launched as an open art fair by The George Keyt
Foundation, has enjoyed a 27-year partnership with John Keells Holdings PLC as the event sponsor
and manager. Kala Pola is a flagship project under John Keells Foundation’s focus area of Arts &
Culture, as a sustained CSR initiative aimed at empowering the livelihoods of Sri Lankan artists while
promoting appreciation and support of the arts among wider audiences within and outside Sri Lanka.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kala Pola first went online in February/March of 2021 ahead of
the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival and, following its success, in November/December as a
Christmas edition. The event attracted enthusiastic participation with 273 artists showcasing 5,034
works of art, drawing 64,700 unique visitors and reporting the sale of 422 artworks and LKR 12.6
million in estimated sales revenue during the event and over 63 commissioned works, a testament to
the ever-increasing interest in art transcending pandemic limitations. The virtual event included two
side events, namely the `Spotlight on Artist’ series hosted by Arun Dias Bandaranaike featuring Sri
Lankan artists Pala Pothupitiye, Anoli Perera and Sanjeewee Senevirathna whose art has reached global
audiences, and a Children’s Christmas Workshop conducted by the Shyamala School of Art.

“We are delighted at the tremendous response received from both artists and visitors to Kala Pola
Christmas Edition at a time when Sri Lankan artists continue to be challenged by the pandemic”, said
John Keells’ Head of CSR, Carmeline Jayasuriya. “The John Keells Group together with our partner
organizations remain committed to support and promote Sri Lankan art and artists through our
various initiatives within the Group’s wider roadmap for Arts and Culture.”

Nation’s Trust Bank (NTB) – Private Banking was the banking partner of Kala Pola Online for the
second consecutive time, enabling an exclusive virtual premier for its Private Banking clientele ahead
of the public launch. NTB’s partnership also facilitated the inclusion of a LankaQR code payment
option through FriMi, enhancing market access for registered artists with buyers.

Arts & Culture is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange
operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John
Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most
Respected Entity’ for the last 16 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World
Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of
“Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social
entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution
in Sri Lanka.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Executive-Corporate Communications + 94 11 230 6191/ 071 970 0900| Shenuka.jkh@keells.co
Isuri Abeywickrema
Executive-Corporate Communications
+ 94 11 230 6191/ 071 970 0900| Isuri.jkh@keells.com

May 31, 2021

Sri Lanka is known for talented artists that add value to the culture, heritage and diversity of the country. Both artists and art lovers alike look forward to ‘Kala Pola’ as Sri Lanka’s renowned annual fair for visual art. Conceptualized by the George Keyt Foundation in 1993 and supported by the unbroken patronage of the John Keells Group over the past 27 years, `Kala Pola’ has been promoting Sri Lankan art and providing opportunities for local artists over the past 28 years.

‘Kala Pola’ focuses on fostering a space for artists and sculptors to learn, network and market art given the limited opportunities that are available to promote their work outside gallery spaces. The ongoing pandemic has exacerbated the challenges. As a solution to gathering restrictions, the art fair was hosted as an online event for the first time in 2021. The month-long event hosted on John Keells Foundation’s digital art gallery site www.srilankanartgallery.com from 21^st February to 21^st March featured over 4,000 works of 202 Sri Lankan artists. The event received a remarkable response attracting over 56,000 visitors from various parts of the world. Over 240 pieces of art were sold online to buyers in and outside Sri Lanka with artists also receiving commissioned orders. With Nations Trust Bank (NTB) coming onboard as its Banking Partner, NTB’s Private Banking customers were hosted to an exclusive preview of the online event on 20th February, one-day prior to opening for the general public, which also enhanced market potential of artists.

Sharing his feedback on the virtual event, senior artist based in Galle. Mr. Thushan Illeperumarachchi stated that “Even though I was quite skeptical about an art fair being taken online at first, I managed to sell about 17 paintings online and even though it was a new experience I think it was successful as it attracted many local and international buyers. As the event was one month long, it allowed buyers to leisurely go through our work and pick what they like. I hope we can continue both online and onsite Kala Pola in the future.”

The virtual event also featured four fringe events to better engage collectors, artists, kids and art lovers through `A Collector’s Guide – Start and build your own Art collection’, two panel discussions entitled ‘Digital Transformation in the Art Industry’ and `Do Artists have a Place?’ featuring art experts and senior artists respectively and a workshop for kids on leaf painting and clay making with the Cora Abraham Art school, all of which were streamed live and are available on the Kala Pola Facebook page.

The online event was followed by a one-day pilot pop-up sale held at Arcade Independence Square, Colombo 07 featuring 25 senior artists who have been part of the event for 15 or more years. The event which was held in strict accordance to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, attracted 978 visitors and generated over LKR.1.46 million in estimated sales revenue. Over 50 John Keells staff volunteers supported both initiatives.

Mr. Michael Anthonisz, Chairman, George Keyt Foundation said “We are indeed very grateful to our partner – John Keells Group – for being agile and innovative in taking Kala Pola online this year, and providing artists a global platform for their work, despite the ongoing pandemic. Both events created an opportunity to exhibit and sell works of art and in these trying times this was of immense benefit to our artists. The George Keyt Foundation is very happy with the outcome of both events and values the continued support of John Keells in organizing and funding this event.”

“At a time when many local artists have been severely affected in reaching out to buyers as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the John Keells Group together with the George Keyt Foundation remain committed to support and promote Sri Lankan artists”, said Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation. “We are delighted at the response received from both artists and buyers to the pilot online event this year and hope to continue hosting such events to further the objectives of Kala Pola as well as the Group’s wider roadmap within the focus area of Arts and Culture”.

Arts & Culture is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

February 23, 2018

Kala Pola

The Silver Anniversary edition of Sri Lanka’s acclaimed open-air art fair, Kala Pola, will take place at Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha in Colombo 07, on Sunday 25 February 2018. The official ceremony will be graced by H.E. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.

Presented by The George Keyt Foundation in association with John Keells Holdings PLC, Kala Pola is free of charge and open to the public from 8.00 am – 9.00 pm.

Kala Pola 2024 – A Spectacular Celebration of Sri Lankan Visual Art

Kala Pola 2024

Kala Pola 2024 – Spotlighting Artistic Diversity and Creative Expression through Visual Art

The 30th Year of Kala Pola, Sri Lanka’s Open Air Art Fair, a resounding success

Kala Pola 2023 concludes with splendour

Kala Pola 2023 Open-Air Art Fair celebrates 30 years of promoting visual art in Sri Lanka

John Keells and George Keyt Foundation continue to empower local artists through Kala Pola Online powered by innovative banking solutions from Nation’s Trust Bank

Kala Pola continues to support Local Artists amidst the Pandemic

Kala Pola’ this Sunday 25 Feb 2018