The Colombo Design Market is back this Sunday, and features an exciting lineup of artists, designers, performers and more. Daily Mirror Life had a brief chat with the team at the Colombo Design Market to find out about the market and what it has in store for Colombo. The team comprises of Alifiya Mutaher – Founder, Buddhima Kurukulasuriya – Music Curator, Ryan Wijayaratne – Art and Gallery Curator, Murad Jayah – Public Relations and Marketing, Sugama Gopalkrishna – Interactive Arts Designer and Munira Mutaher – Arts Coordinator.

Can you tell me a bit about the Colombo Design Market, and whose idea it was to start this in Colombo?

Having noticed the lack of a vibrant creative public space in Colombo and no avenues for creatives to come together as most initiatives were isolated and ad-hoc, Alifiya Mutaher, an engineering graduate, decided to delve into her creative side inspired by markets in Malaysia and Australia, where she studied.

How many editions have you had to date?

We had our launch in December and two successive events in both January and February, with the continuous support of Fairway Holdings, who are passionate about promoting local art and culture.

Who will be exhibiting at the market this Sunday? Will there be newer entrants into the market?

We constantly aim to discover new work and host them at the market, while inspiring people to start creating. At the market we'll be featuring a host of designers - from fashion, jewellery and graphics, to illustrators, artists and performers. This Sunday, some of the new vendors will be Vasika Udurawane, MadFan Clothing (graphic art t-shirts) and RTwoNine (wall art).

How can one have a stall at the market?

Our application process allows anyone interested to fill in an Inquiry Form found on our Facebook Page. Our team collectively curates the applicants according to our criteria (on our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/colombodesignmarket), and gives the selected vendors further details on the prices and sizes of stall spaces and other options available.

How often will this be held?

We plan to host the market every quarter. Following our July Edition, CDM will be next held in October and December.

What time does it start on Sunday? And where will it be held?

The market, on 19th July, runs from 2pm until 10pm at the Viharamahadevi Amphitheatre.

By Sarah Kellapatha
Photographs courtesy Colombo Design Market