THE BAYLEAF ART GLLERY FEATURES – REMEMBERING GUNASIRI KOLAMBAGE:” A TIMELESS LEGACY IN LINE, COLOUR, LIGHT AND FORM”
The Bayleaf restaurant now in its 21st year continues to add special features that interest many a guest and visitor. The Art Gallery at the restaurant, proudly showcases a talented Sri Lankan artist each month, fostering and promoting local creative talent and now presenting late Gunasiri Kolambage’s art till April 26.
The first memorial exhibition honouring the late Gunasiri Kolambage (1 November 1938 – 6 June 2024) marks the artist’s first public tribute since his passing and offers audiences an opportunity to reflect on a career that shaped Sri Lanka’s modern visual arts landscape for more than five decades.
Titled “ Remembering Gunasiri Kolambage: A Timeless Legacy in Line, Colour, Light and Form” , the exhibition is being held at The Bayleaf Art Gallery on Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7, from February 16 to March 31, 2026. The exhibition is open daily from 11.30 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.
” Supporting local artistry is at the heart of our vision. Our monthly artist feature is more than an exhibition—it is our commitment to nurturing and promoting Sri Lanka’s vibrant creative community. Gunasiri Kolambage has a special place in my career , known him for many years and admiring his work, it gives me great pleasure to feature the late artists first memorial exhibition at The Bayleaf’ Harpo MD
Curated by architect and art enthusiast Sadev Wittachy, the exhibition brings together a carefully selected body of work that reflects both the range and evolution of Kolambage’s artistic practice. The presentation highlights his sustained engagement with form, colour and emotional expression, offering visitors a cohesive view of his creative journey.
A graduate of the Government College of Fine Arts in Colombo, Kolambage built a multifaceted career spanning fine art, advertising and visual communication. Working across oil, watercolour, acrylic and mixed media, his work moved confidently between expressive figurative compositions and lyrical abstraction, unified by a distinctive command of line, colour and light.
His contribution earned recognition both locally and internationally. In 1971, he received the Governor-General’s First Prize for Oil Painting of the Year from the Ceylon Society of Arts for After Mother’s Death, a deeply personal work. In 2009, he was selected as a finalist at the International Artist Magazine Awards in Australia, further affirming his international standing.
Kolambage’s paintings were exhibited in major art centres worldwide, including Japan, Bulgaria, India, Bangladesh, Australia, Spain and Paris, marking him as one of Sri Lanka’s most internationally exhibited artists.
Alongside his fine art practice, Kolambage played a formative role in Sri Lanka’s advertising and design industry. He began his professional career in 1959 as an Art Director at J. Walter Thompson Colombo, where he introduced fine art disciplines such as drawing, watercolour, calligraphy and decorative design into commercial visual communication at a time when the field was still developing locally. He later served as Art Director at Ranjith Jayaasuriya Associates from 1985 to 1997 and worked with Concept Communications in Brisbane, Australia, shaping campaigns for prestigious clients and influencing generations of designers.
As the first exhibition organised in his memory, “Remembering Gunasiri Kolambage– A Timeless Legacy in Line, Colour, Light and Form” serves not only as a tribute to an accomplished artist, but also as a moment of collective remembrance for those who admired his work. Though he is deeply missed by family, friends and all who admired his work, Gunasiri Kolambage’s spirit endures, living on through the colour, light and quiet power of the canvases he leaves behind.
The exhibition runs until April 2026, at The Bayleaf Art Gallery, Colombo 7, inviting audiences to reconnect with the enduring vision of an artist whose influence continues to resonate.
Most painting are available for sale
Gallery is open daily 11am – 10 pm
