Barefoot Gallery Colombo

Barefoot Gallery in Colombo was started by Barbara Sansoni, an artist and designer. Her relatives had first come to Sri Lanka in the 1600’s and Barbara is of Dutch Burgher lineage born in 1928 in the hill station of Kandy. In 1947 she studied art at the Regent Street London Polytechnic which is today’s Chelsea School of Art. But she says, “It is the carpenters, bricklayers, roof layers and the like who really solve problems. Even without a formal education, they have the intellect to craft and to build fine works of art, using their hands and brains and no computers. These are the people to be admired.”

The high standards of Craft work in Sri Lanka I find has been preserved to the present day. It has not been abandoned with modern living. Not just the small household objects but the house builders and carpentry and bricklayers do professional work with such natural ease in a craft like traditional way.

Yesterday

and today

The Gallery starts with craft based woven wall hangings that are hung from ceiling to floor that would cover a whole wall, household linens, soft toys, perfumes, colorful table mats, bedspreads and a floor down to clothes and steps down to the bookshop and the courtyard cafe which also has an art gallery.