ITC Ratnadipa Presents “Changes & Traditions” by Kala Soori Awardee S. H. Sarath

ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo, presents Changes & Traditions, a body of work by Kala Soori Awardee and contemporary Sri Lankan artist S. H. Sarath.

Open to public from 26 June to 12 July 2026 at the hotel's WelcomGallery, Kathanayake Lounge, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the exhibition is curated to take viewers through five decades of artistic exploration, reflecting on the enduring rhythms of Sri Lankan life through ever-evolving perspectives.

Framed as a contemplative journey through perception and memory, the exhibition positions Sarath’s practice as a sustained inquiry into how a nation sees itself over time.

Rather than treating art as a record of change alone, ‘Changes & Traditions’ proposes a layered reading of Sri Lanka as both subject and idea, where cultural foundations endure even as visual, social, and emotional interpretations continue to shift.

The exhibition invites viewers to experience this tension between permanence and transformation, where love, struggle, spirituality, and everyday life are rendered through a visual language that evolves while staying rooted in its context.

Born in Weligama, S. H. Sarath’s early artistic sensibilities were shaped by the cultural life of his surroundings, from vibrant Sunday markets to the nearby Kushtarajagala rock relief that he encountered on his way to school.

He studied at the Government College of Fine Arts, Colombo from 1968 to 1973, specialising in painting and sculpture.

Over the decades, Sarath has held numerous solo and group exhibitions in Sri Lanka and abroad, including at the Lionel Wendt Art Centre and international platforms such as London, Paris, New Delhi, Havana, Seoul, Tokyo, Geneva, New York, and Australia, as well as participation in major international biennales.

In 1979, he was awarded a UNESCO Fellowship to study at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, followed by further studies in Visual Arts and Printmaking at the University of South Australia.

His works are held in major public and institutional collections including the National Gallery of Sri Lanka, UNICEF, Bandaranaike International Airport, and the United Nations in Geneva and New York.

The exhibition brings together a significant body of work spanning more than five decades, moving across line drawings, colour line drawings, and oil paintings.

Across these mediums, Sarath constructs a distinctive visual vocabulary that blends spontaneity with structure, and observation with introspection.

His works are marked by a delicate interplay of satire, symbolism, humour, and a quietly incisive commentary on social behaviour.

In this sense, the exhibition reads not only as an overview of the artist’s practice, but as a reflection on Sri Lanka itself, its remembered past, its lived present, and how change and tradition exist side by side.

“I have always been interested in the world around me, the people, stories, and traditions that shape our lives,” says Sarath.

“As time passes, our experiences change the way we see them, and that journey between tradition and change is what continues to inspire my work.”

Keenan McKenzie, Area Manager to Sri Lanka and General Manager, ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo, said,

“At ITC Ratnadipa, we are committed to supporting Sri Lankan art and craft through WelcomGallery, and we look forward to showcasing a diverse range of artistic expressions that continue to engage and inspire our guests.”

Presented as part of ITC Ratnadipa’s ongoing commitment to cultural dialogue and artistic engagement, Changes & Traditions presents Sri Lanka as “The Island That Observes Itself,” positioning S. H. Sarath not simply as a witness to change, but as an observer of the enduring cultural rhythms that continue to shape the nation’s identity.

Through works spanning five decades, the exhibition becomes both a reflection of the artist’s evolving practice and a portrait of Sri Lanka itself, inviting viewers to consider how the island is continually seen, understood, and reimagined across generations.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 26 June to 12 July 2026 at the hotel’s WelcomGallery, Kathanayake Lounge, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.