The Wick Culture - Saskia Fernando, photography by Kavindu Sivaraj.

Monday Muse

Interview Gallery Founder and Director Saskia Fernando

Interview

Saskia Fernando

Photography

Kavindu Sivaraj

06 January 2025

Interview

Saskia Fernando

Photography

Kavindu Sivaraj

06 January 2025

Saskia Fernando is a leading figure in Sri Lanka’s contemporary art scene, and one of the leading voices representing South Asian contemporary art globally today. The founder and director of her eponymous gallery – based in Colombo since 2009 – Fernando has been taking down stereotypes and making space locally and internationally for Sri Lankan art, representing a roster of both established and emerging names. Working in Sri Lanka has meant not only exhibiting art but shifting a mindset, and over the last two decades, Fernando has done just that, while forging relationships with fairs and institutions around the world, launching a digital gallery and artist residency programme. She’s also recently opened a second physical gallery space in Colombo, and has embarked on a new venture, KALĀ (taking its name from the Sanskrit for performing arts) a platform for South Asian art where local and diaspora voices can come together. We find out more about Fernando’s day to day, her vision, and what excites her about the Sri Lankan scene.

THE WICK: Talk us through a typical Monday.

Saskia Fernando: I’m up at dawn to have some quiet time before the day begins. In the months leading up to KALĀ the pace of everything picks up so work meetings can begin early. There’s no typical day for me and we just opened our second gallery space in Colombo. I try my best to fit in visits to both spaces daily, hold meetings with our clients, patrons and make studio visits as regularly as possible. I try to keep my afternoons free to be with my six year old and manage any afternoon zooms, most often on UK time, when on the move. Needless to say, I go to sleep early!

TW: You are the Founder of the eponymous Saskia Fernando Gallery in 2009 which nurtures emerging artists within the region and the largest contemporary art gallery in Sri Lanka. How did you begin?

SF: I grew up surrounded by art and it’s quite clear to me now that this way of life was ingrained in me at quite a young age. My father’s collecting and relationship with artists no doubt made my beginning in the arts seamless. I began working in the art world as my father’s protégée at Paradise Road Galleries in my early 20s where I managed his exhibition space and this was where I was first introduced to many of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary practitioners. I founded my own space in 2009 inspired by the relationships I had formed; I was in my late twenties at this point and began with a very small gallery and a group of artists keen to support my plan.

TW: How has the gallery evolved since then?

SF: Sixteen years later I continue to work with many of the same practitioners, that is something I am very proud of. This year our journey came full circle and we rebranded the gallery as PRSFG (Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery) to merge the strengths of our family’s vision for art and culture with the work of SFG. I have always believed in organic growth, we have developed alongside the local industry and we owe this to the vibrancy and momentum of the contemporary art world in Sri Lanka.

TW: What is the biggest challenge and conversely biggest opportunity in bringing Sri Lankan art to the global stage?

SF: We share many of the same issues that the global south face in establishing the identity and roots of our non-Western art histories. Today, as a gallery in Sri Lanka, which might be considered remote in some aspects, I try to gain visibility for our work via collaborations with other galleries internationally to deal with these challenges. As a result we have worked with galleries in Los Angeles, London, Dubai, Singapore and India. The opportunity for us has always been positioned in our rich cultural heritage and the scene itself that has been active throughout times of crisis.

“We share many of the same issues that the global south face in establishing the identity and roots of our non-Western art histories.”

TW: You recently established KALĀ: what is KALĀ and what do you hope to achieve through this organisation?

SF: KALĀ is a platform for South Asian art based in Sri Lanka. We present exhibitions, talks programming and residencies using this platform to engage and develop our art worlds in the region. There are dual objectives in the creation of this platform. One is naturally to draw attention towards Sri Lanka and educate the international art world on our modern and contemporary art history.

The other is to focus on development locally which relates to both a new collector that needs to learn about the art world and also the Artist community that needs better access to opportunities and funding. Connecting regionally for us has been our aim from the beginning as working in parallel with our neighbours, with whom we share many challenges of international access, build collaborative strength across the board.In this area we are establishing a residency exchange that begins at the oldest art institution in the country this year.

These regional residencies have proved in the past to foster positive exchange and learning that has long term benefits on the art world. We are excited to have signed our first official exchange with Hampi Art Labs.

TW: For those interested in supporting emerging artists, what would be your best tips?

SF: The best way to understand an emerging scene is to research via galleries, platforms and institutions, hereby much of the groundwork is already created in ensuring that these artists are not only evolving but that there is an investment in their future and they have begun a professional career in the arts. Group shows via residency platforms and galleries championing emerging practitioners are also a good place to start.

TW: Top Sri Lankan artist who should be on our radar?

SF: HA Karunaratne.

TW: If you could curate an exhibition anywhere in the world, what would be your dream location and why?

SF: Sri Lanka remains a dream space for us. After decades in the art world I find the most inspiring space to be the one I am in and the potential here is truly limitless. That said, we do have something exciting planned in another dream location.

TW: Your sister Annika shares the same building with her fashion store PR. What is your chosen go to label for private views?

SF: My sister is an interior designer and she has a clothing label MAUS which is my go to for private views. Having her interior design expertise is a huge advantage for exhibition design and also when collaborating on larger collection advisory. She recently consulted on our Muvindu Binoy’s exhibition design. Our family’s work is oftentimes more integrated than it seems, and we are continuously engaged on multiple projects across design, art and hospitality.

TW: What’s your favourite Culturally Curious spot in Sri Lanka?

SF: I love the Sapumal Foundation. Perfectly imperfect and a space you can sit with for hours on end looking at works from Sri Lanka’s modernist movement in a space maintained in its original state; formerly the home of Harry Pieris, the founder of the ’43 Group.

TW: Who is your ultimate Monday Muse?

SF: Sandhini Poddar, Adjunct Curator of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and our KALĀ Curatorial Advisor, has been a wonderful mentor and is someone I hugely admire for her knowledge of the South Asian and international art world. The world needs more sensitive curators who understand how to approach ancient art worlds that are holding rich histories and deserve reverence of a different kind.