MFA presents landmark contemporary art program in collaboration with JKF

THE Matara Festival for the Arts (MFA) returns from 12-15 December, presenting a bold program, including new works that celebrate contemporary Sri Lankan art, heritage traditions, and community engagement.

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From top left: Jezima Mohamed, Anura Krishantha, Chathurika Jayani, Bandu Manamperi, Bilaal Raji Saheed, Hanusha Somasundaram, Arulraj Ulaganathan and Irushi Tennekoon

Six exhibits, housed at the Old High Court within the Matara Fort, will showcase batik, visual art, mixed media, installation art, stop-motion and mixed-media animation, film, and performance.

This year’s exhibit sees established practitioners working in partnership with rising artists in the field, as well as with MFA-trained Matara community artists — uniting them in collaborations, mentorships, and peer-to-peer groupings.

John Keells Foundation (JKF) — the CSR entity of the John Keells Group — has been with MFA since its launch in 2024 and returns once again for this second edition as its trailblazing Festival Patron and Art Patron. The initiative leads the way through the John Keells Group’s steadfast and growing commitment to empowering a healthy and progressive Sri Lanka by combatting social barriers, promoting dialogue, and supporting creative industries.

The India-Sri Lanka Foundation is an exhibit-specific partner this year in the tuk tuk mobile art project. The ISLF, set up by the Governments of India and Sri Lanka, aims to foster India-Sri Lanka relations through several avenues, including cultural cooperation, as demonstrated through their partnership with MFA.

Freelan Enterprises, a Matara-based leading exporter of spices, joins this year as a Friend of MFA. MFA is presented in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism, and proudly, Wijeya Newspapers is MFA’s exclusive print and digital media sponsor.

Exhibit 1: Art Ambassadors of the Road - Tuk tuks as canvas for cultural and community transformation (Visual Art)