What Lives Between, the latest Artist Spotlight exhibition by John Keells Foundation and City of Dreams, explores cultural memory, Sinhala folk poetry and the experiences of Sri Lankan women through Channa Ekanayake’s contemporary visual language.
What Lives Between brings folk poetry, memory and Sri Lankan womanhood into focus
The eighth edition of Artist Spotlight was launched on 16 September 2026 at Level 23 of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, bringing together a body of work that examines the less visible forms of cultural inheritance. Curated by Kasun Jayamanne, the exhibition will remain on display until 30 November 2026.
At the centre of the exhibition is Ekanayake’s interest in memories that continue beyond the people, places and moments that originally shaped them. Drawing inspiration from Sinhala folk poetry and stories associated with generations of Sri Lankan women, the artist translates these cultural references into contemporary compositions built around geometry, colour, rhythm and restraint.
Rather than presenting folk poetry as a literal source, Ekanayake uses it as a starting point for examining how cultural experiences are remembered and transformed. The approach allows familiar ideas and symbols to be reconsidered through an artistic language that is contemporary while remaining connected to Sri Lanka’s cultural landscape.
Ekanayake said the creative process began with an interest in memories that outlast the people, places and experiences connected to them. He noted that Sinhala folk poetry carries many such memories, particularly stories and experiences connected to women that have been passed through generations. His intention was to explore that inheritance through a contemporary visual language and allow familiar elements to be seen from a different perspective.
The exhibition also reflects a wider artistic journey spanning more than two decades. Ekanayake’s early solo exhibition, Dwellings, presented in 2001, established an interest in architecture and inhabitation. His subsequent works, including Silence of the Blue and BODHI, expanded his exploration of spirituality, the environment and cultural symbolism.
His international presentations have further developed this engagement with Sri Lanka’s visual identity. Among them was Islanded at Aicon Contemporary in New York, which provided another setting for his exploration of the country’s cultural and visual landscape.
With What Lives Between, that artistic trajectory turns more directly towards cultural memory and Sri Lankan womanhood. The resulting works do not attempt to provide a single interpretation of the stories and references that inform them. Instead, they leave room for viewers to consider how memory, identity and inherited cultural experiences can change as they move between generations.
For City of Dreams, the exhibition forms part of a broader effort to create opportunities for audiences to encounter Sri Lankan art in an environment outside the traditional gallery setting. Kamal Munasinghe, Senior Vice President, Colombo Hotels, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and General Manager, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, said art can create connections when people encounter it naturally as part of their surroundings.
Through Artist Spotlight, City of Dreams seeks to bring Sri Lankan artistic expression into its wider hospitality and lifestyle environment while providing artists with opportunities to reach audiences who may be encountering their work for the first time.
The initiative also reflects John Keells Foundation’s focus on supporting creative expression and strengthening opportunities for local artists. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR, John Keells Group, said supporting artists creates greater space for creativity to be seen, experienced and valued by diverse audiences.
According to Jayasuriya, the Artist Spotlight initiative is intended to contribute to a stronger creative ecosystem in Sri Lanka while encouraging conversations around the stories, identities and experiences that shape the country’s culture. The programme also seeks to provide artists with wider opportunities while promoting cultural understanding and appreciation of Sri Lankan artistic talent.
For audiences visiting the exhibition, What Lives Between offers an opportunity to consider the relationship between memory and identity through a contemporary artistic perspective. Ekanayake’s work brings together poetry, cultural references and visual form without reducing the stories behind them to a single narrative.
The exhibition ultimately focuses on what remains after experiences have passed — the memories, symbols, emotions and cultural ideas that continue to connect generations. By bringing these elements into a contemporary setting at Cinnamon Life, Ekanayake and the organisers invite audiences to reconsider how Sri Lankan cultural memory is preserved, transformed and experienced today.
What Lives Between will remain on display at Level 23, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, until 30 November 2026.