Batiks icon Buddhi wins HSBC Colombo Fashion Week Lifetime Award

Friday, 21 March 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Buddhi Keerthisena, the leading innovator of batiks in Sri Lanka and who made batik a fashion, recently received the HSBC Colombo Fashion Week Lifetime Award for his outstanding 45-year contribution to the fashion industry through batik creations.

The award was presented by fashion designer Yoland Aluvihare on the final day of the HSBC Colombo Fashion Week. Buddhi started his career in batiks in 1969 as a hobby and turned it into a profession. Buddhi’s batiks creation became very popular in Sri Lanka and overseas. His first foreign exhibition was held in Germany in 1974. He travelled around the world with his creations and held over 100 exhibitions and fashion shows in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, UK, USA, Australia, Seychelles, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and France among others. He brought back valuable foreign exchange and fame to Sri Lanka. In the 1970s there was less interest for fashion in the country especially in batiks. Buddhi changed the entire batiks sector bringing new designs and fashion. Foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka showed keen interests in Buddhi’s creations. Leading film personalities such as Vijaya Kumaratunga, Swarna Mallawarachchi, Anoja Weerasinghe, Malini Fonseka, Lucky Dias, Jeewan Kumaratunga, Sabeetha Perera, Sanath Gunathilake, Sriyani Amarasena modeled for Buddhi Batiks without claiming professional fees because of their love and promote batiks. The publicity generated through their generosity made batiks very popular among Sri Lankans. Buddhi’s daughter Darshi, who grew up in an environment that fostered batiks later took up to batiks as her career. This was after finishing her

studies in fashion designing in the UK and graduating with BA Hons. Dharshi changed the entire fashion trend in batik and gave batiks a very special Sri Lankan identity and made it a high end product. Buddhi also created batiks for the leaders of the country such as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Ranasinghe Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunga and President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the First Lady who are equally passionate about batiks and crafts in Sri Lanka. Buddhi Keerthisena is presently the Chairman of the National Crafts Council and is contributing towards popularising and promoting batiks in the country organising training programs for unemployed women including those in the north and east. The HSBC Colombo Fashion Week, a brainchild of Ajai Vir Singh has continuously showcased best of Sri Lankan designer talent for 11 consecutive years successfully.