Sitting in the De Mel Building on Chatham Street, Fort, linking an old Colombo landmark with a new attempt to give Sri Lankan artists the space and support they have long needed, is the Radicle gallery. Just as artists across the globe will tell you that it can be difficult to make ends meet, gallery owners will say the same about keeping an art gallery up and running.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way?
This is where Radicle comes in. Named after the radicle, the first part of a plant embryo to emerge from a seed during germination, Seed Cafe co-owners Mahesh Alkegama and his wife Nishendri Wariyapola started the Radicle art gallery and cafe in November after starting to collect art themselves a few years ago. Seed Cafe (on Horton Place) had been exhibiting some art but they wanted to open something bigger. When they were contacted about a new property on the market, although initially hesitant, they took a look and decided to take the plunge.
The gallery itself could be called a work of art of sorts. Located at Chatham Street in the De Mel Building where the Pagoda Tea Room, a favourite haunt of Colombo folk of yesteryear once stood, the building’s structure is mostly untouched, but parts of it have been reworked for the gallery’s needs. The basement was completely rebuilt, and the old steel columns – brought down from England during British times – were painted blue. That blue is now used subtly throughout the space. The original glass blocks on the upper wall were kept as they were, and a table with matching glass blocks was added upstairs, keeping the old building visually connected to its new purpose. What used to be the kitchen area is now being turned into a sculpture garden after substantial renovation.
The idea behind Radicle is simple: nurture growth. Radicle supports artists through mentorship and practical help, including materials. They don’t limit style, but Mahesh encourages artists to move toward work that also reflects possibilities, not only hardship. They have already worked with students from Jaffna and Batticaloa, including a recent exchange visit with students guided by Prof. T. Sanathanan. Workshops and artist talks are planned as part of building a wider network.