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Monday 10:00 - 18:00 Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00 Wednesday 10:00 - 18:00 Thursday 10:00 - 18:00 Friday 10:00 - 18:00 Saturday 10:00 - 18:00

https://linktr.ee/barefootgallery

Barefoot Gallery, 706 Galle Road, Colombo (2026)

09/08/2026

This exhibition takes its name from Barbara Sansoni’s 2004 book of poetry, Press with the Toes in the Grass. Press with the Toes is an ode to the relationship between designer and weaver. The Reddha’s on view are created by the weavers and ten designers of the Barefoot design team, taking forward Barbara Sansoni’s design legacy.

Today is the last day to view Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition by the weavers and designers at Barefoot.

07/08/2026

Kottamba කොට්ටම්බා

Designer:
Poorni Wijesinghe

Weaver:
Nilanthi Perera

Kottamba is one of the most familiar trees along Sri Lanka’s coastlines, roadsides, and home gardens. People call it the “umbrella tree”, its wide-spreading branches and large leaves create a natural canopy of shade.

As a tropical tree, Kottamba has a quiet kind of drama. Each season it turns, sheds, and renews itself in colour.
This Reddha is the geometric interpretation of the Kottamba leaf. The colours are drawn from the season when the leaves fall…the same tree that sits right in front of my desk.

It is woven in plain weave, while experimenting with scrap fabric to create a tactile, textured surface. This is a sensitive and technical conversation between the designer and the weaver. It takes the weaver’s skill to read the rhythm of the lines and bring the leaf to life.
..

Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition by the weavers and designers at Barefoot, will be on view until 9 August 2026.

Between Black and White

Designer:
Vidurangi Gunarathne

Weaver:
S. Punitha

This reddha is developed through a structured handwoven process inspired by Anni Albers’ modernist approach to textile construction. Woven on a two-pedal loom using the plain weave technique, the piece employs a black and white check pattern to create a subtle interplay of texture, rhythm, and structure.

A red circular form, woven directly into the reddha with yarn, interrupts the monochrome composition. Positioned between the black and white, it introduces a contrasting visual and symbolic element, suggesting a deeper narrative. The red circle becomes a focal point, inviting viewers to reflect on ideas of balance, tension, memory, and the spaces that connect opposing forces.

Through the relationship between colour, texture, and woven structure, Between Black and White explores how meaning can emerge through both contrast and connection.
..

Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition by the weavers and designers at Barefoot, will be on view until 9 August 2026.

Red Planet

Designer:
Sophia Sansoni

Weaver:
S. Punitha

Barefoot’s designs have always drawn from nature. If the colours work in nature, they work on t

06/08/2026

The Barefoot Gallery Colombo is delighted to present අතර තුර | Interstices, a solo exhibition by Karunasiri Wijesinghe.

As a prominent voice with a distinct identity in contemporary Sri Lankan art, Karunasiri Wijesinghe has spent decades immersed in the intimate study of the island's natural ecosystems - observing the organic architecture of trees, vines, and untamed terrain. The works presented in his exhibitions are best understood not as final endpoints, but as quiet pauses along this lifelong journey of visual inquiry.

“When the intricate forms of trees and vines intertwine, an unexpected abstraction emerges - a stillness within which the true essence of nature reveals itself. My path has been to uncover this inherent abstraction while remaining deeply anchored in organic reality. Having walked this road for over forty years, the unfolding must naturally be deliberate and measured. Look closely at the roots and branches: within their contours lie subtle anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms - whispers of human and animal presences, filled with rhythm, movement, and life. I strive to bring these evocative presences to the surface. Within nature’s quiet rhythms, a profound aura of mystery reveals itself. To the casual observer, the forest may seem an entangled chaos; my effort is to isolate, distill, and bring clarity to selected fragments so they resonate deeply within the mind. Abstraction is not something added to nature - it is already dwelling within it.”

Exhibition Dates:
14 Aug - 05 Sept 2026

05/08/2026

Mangrove Dreaming

Designer:
Nelun Harasgama

Weaver:
H. Tharangani

The Mandativu Lagoon is a landscape of quiet transitions, where sky dissolves into water, tides reshape the shoreline, and light transforms the colours of the day every minute.

This handwoven textile Reddha draws from those subtle rhythms rather than the landscape itself. Threads of soft indigo, turquoise, weathered grey, salt white and burnt earth are woven together to evoke the movement of water.

The weave carries the irregularities of the handmade, echoing the ripples, currents, mangroves and shifting textures of the lagoon.

It is an expression of time, place and a memory of resilience.

…

Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition by the weavers and designers at Barefoot, will be on view until 9 August 2026.

Fire Mask

Designer:
Binara Marasinghe

Weaver:
Annette Silva

The traditional Sri Lankan Gini Raksha mask carries the presence of fire, protection, and strength. With its fierce expression and vibrant colours, it is believed to guard against negative forces while restoring balance and harmony.

This handwoven reddha draws from the powerful visual language of the Gini Raksha, translating its fiery energy through layers of red, orange, and yellow. Leftover fabric pieces and yarns of different thicknesses are woven together, creating a surface rich with texture, movement, and depth.

Through the combination of utilising off-cuts and traditional weaving practices, the piece reflects both the spirit of preservation and the transformation of materials into a tangible, cultural memory.

…

Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition by the weavers and designers at Barefoot, will be on view until 9 August 2026.

Poppy Season

Designer:
Tharushi Wijerathne

Weaver:
Shanthi Kumari

Poppy Season is inspired by a valley in full bloom, where vibrant poppies transform the landscape during their flowering season. The composition combines structured vertical stripes with textured floral forms, creating a balance between the ordered weave and the organic beauty of nature.

Fabric pieces and knotted yarns are integrated into the woven surface to represent clusters of blooming poppies and greenery

02/08/2026

Press with the Toes | Reddha Exhibition
by the weavers and designers at Barefoot.

“This piece of cloth, a Reddha, is a woven abstract composition using only geometric colour forms. You can enjoy looking at it indefinitely by noting how colour changes almost totally. They will give you unending pleasure if you notice colour changes in warp and weft, changes in proportions, and the suggested atmosphere: one can see the sea, landscapes, trees, birds, depending on how keen one’s eye and imagination. It needs no frame or glass and folds away neatly when you need a change.”
— Barbara Sansoni

This exhibition takes its name from Barbara Sansoni’s 2004 book of poetry, Press with the Toes in the Grass. Press with the Toes is an ode to the relationship between designer and weaver. The Reddha’s on view are created by the weavers and ten designers of the Barefoot design team, taking forward Barbara Sansoni’s design legacy.

Barbara often spoke about why she called Barefoot “Barefoot.” To be barefoot, she said, is to be in touch with the earth, a grounding effect. Weavers press their toes onto the pedals of the loom, weaving with their whole body.

This exhibition is a celebration of those who carry that legacy forward: a celebration of design, colour, people, and skill.

…

The exhibition will be on view from 3 to 9 August at Barefoot Gallery Colombo.

21/07/2026

Here and There
Curated by Chandraguptha Thenuwara
Assistant Curator: Asanka Jayasinghe

Here and There is the inaugural annual exhibition showcasing Sri Lankan artists living abroad whose practices remain deeply connected to the country’s social, political, and cultural realities. Featuring Annette Fernando, Kirushan Sivagnanam, and Anupa Khemadasa, the exhibition explores memory, identity, displacement, and transformation through diverse contemporary artistic practices.

Opening Preview:
Thursday, 23 July 2026 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Barefoot Gallery Colombo

Special performance by Khemadasa Foundation at 7PM

Exhibition Dates:
24 - 29 July 2026

18/07/2026

Musical thoughts by Alex Stewart

“As some may know I have a love and passion for DJ-ing. The name DJ has changed in meaning so much since I started out that I now just call myself ‘the old man selectah’ - an old school way of playing, with no amazing digital trickery, just hours of digging for the best remixes, great tunes and for me, the most important thing of all - NO pre-prepared playlist.

I have a long involvement with music going back to 1970s, organising the school disco. I saw _The Damned_ play in Leeds, and from then on I wanted to feel that same energy from music. I went to london in 1977 and quickly became involved with punk. Our flat had a record collection of everything from early funk, reggae, soul and African like Fela Kuti.

Punk records were everywhere. Going to see bands with DJs like Don Letts. All playing really good music. Imports from the US fresh from the New York dance floors mixed up with heavy dub, roots, reggae and every other genre you can think of. That’s the origin of my DJ-ing - long sets taking an audience on an aural adventure. Aiming to bring the joy and fun and excitement I feel to an audience, through music and dancing as freely as you want.

I always have music on when painting too, it can set a mood, help create the space where my mind can wander freely.

I was recently asked to put a playlist together for my solo show at Barefoot Gallery. It’s become an ever-growing list of unconnected tunes from all over the world with hundreds of musicians, producers and songwriters .

Here are 7 off the top of my head in no particular order.

1. Gold Dust - Ms Dynamite ( DJ FRESHremix )
2. Lost in Music - Chic ( many different remixes)
3. Jump Around - House of Pain (reggae mashup version)
4. Una Notte a Napoli - Pink Martini
5. Lazy - Xpress2 ft David Byrne (Windy City remix )
6. US3 - Tukka Roots Riddim (Cman sax edit)
7. Don’t mash up creation - Sharon Little ( Mr Turner remix )

Enjoy!”

…

Today is the last day to view “Stories from a Wandering Mind” a retrospective show by Alex Stewart. On view until 6:30 PM today.

17/07/2026

Alex has long been drawn to the surrealist idea of the “exquisite corpse” - a method by which a collection of words or images are assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by being allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed or by following a rule for the kind of words to be used, until the figure is complete. Pulled out in full, it reveals a whole figure, built from the random input of each artist. The idea behind these books follows a similar logic: Alex begins with one image and, moving through the book, connects each new image to the last, without it necessarily relating to the subject matter. Displayed either unfolded in full or as a few random pages, it remains a piece he particularly enjoys making, one drawing triggering the next, and so on.
..

Stories from a Wandering Mind a retrospective show by Alex Stewart comes to a close tomorrow.

Gallery Hours:
Monday to Saturday
10 AM - 6:30 PM

17/07/2026

Alex has long been drawn to the surrealist idea of the “exquisite corpse” - a method by which a collection of words or images are assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by being allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed or by following a rule for the kind of words to be used, until the figure is complete. Pulled out in full, it reveals a whole figure, built from the random input of each artist. The idea behind these books follows a similar logic: Alex begins with one image and, moving through the book, connects each new image to the last, without it necessarily relating to the subject matter. Displayed either unfolded in full or as a few random pages, it remains a piece he particularly enjoys making, one drawing triggering the next, and so on.
..

Stories from a Wandering Mind a retrospective show by Alex Stewart comes to a close tomorrow.

Gallery Hours:
Monday to Saturday
10 AM - 6:30 PM

15/07/2026

Reconciliation Series
Watercolour & Ink on 300 GSM paper

…

The 'Reconciliation' series pays tribute to the post-war period, following the end of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009. The work focuses on families getting back together and finding a way to move forward, following the conflict which lasted over twenty six years. It was not about judgement, right or wrong; it was merely about mending and rebuilding a badly broken life for so many people at the time.

…

Stories from a Wandering Mind a retrospective show by Alex Stewart will be on view until 18 July 2026 at Barefoot Gallery Colombo.

Gallery Hours:
Monday to Saturday
10 AM - 6:30 PM

Barefoot Gallery

09/08/2026

07/08/2026

06/08/2026

05/08/2026

02/08/2026

21/07/2026

18/07/2026

17/07/2026

17/07/2026

15/07/2026

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Monday	10:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	10:00 - 18:00
Thursday	10:00 - 18:00
Friday	10:00 - 18:00
Saturday	10:00 - 18:00