A Voyage in Sri Lankan Design-  Art, Craft and Architecture
Published by Vijitha Yapa Publications
20th November 2012
Hard cover,268 pages
Price: Rs. 6250.00

An autobiographical visual narrative of Tilak Samarawickrema’s life’s work, A Voyage in Sri Lankan Design captures his prolific body of work in architecture, art, crafts development, and design over the past 40 years.

The book begins with Samarawickrema’s major contribution to the arts and crafts of Sri Lanka in the 1980’s through his consultancy at the National Design Centre, which culminated in the exhibition Silpa.

It then moves to document his creation of a unique design aesthetic in his hand-woven tapestries produced through a 20-year collaboration with the traditional weavers of Talagune, Uda Dumbara.

The book also provides a window into his art with its original drawing style composed of sensuously curving lines that resonate with the Sinhala calligraphy. Further, it illustrates how Samarawickrema has expanded the scope of his line drawings, adapting them to work in multiple mediums including wire sculpture and cinematic animation.

Finally, A Voyage in Sri Lankan Design documents his architecture, which ranges from residential housing to factories, banks, and office interiors, all designed in a modernist and contemporary idiom. While Samarawickrema’s art, crafts, and tapestries retain links to vernacular aesthetics, his architecture expresses a cosmopolitan and universal approach to design.

The introduction to the book is by the renowned Italian Designer Bruno Munari and the preface by Italian Architect Franco Mirenzi.

The book encapsulates the creative output of this versatile architect, artist, and designer who has transcended vocational and geographical boundaries to produce a rare body of work in multifaceted design.

Through  photographic material, illustrations, reviews, and articles in international catalogs and magazines, this exquisitely crafted book records Samarawickrema’s exceptional contribution to
Sri Lankan design.