Aluwihare Heritage Centre

A 'pavement sale' in 1961, under the porch of Ena de Silva's house on Alfred Place is where it all began. She designed many of the fabrics along with her son Anil Gamini Jayasuriya and Laki Senanayake working from the courtyard and studio of her house. Overwhelming demand allowed Ena de Silva to open a shop in Colpetty selling cloth, clothing, and soft furnishings with workshops in Kotte and the suburbs.

Starting from the magnificent ceiling panels at the Bentota Beach Hotel and banners for the Lanka Oberoi her work would travel and be commissioned to adorn venues internationally. Some of the work for these projects was done in the garden of her father's house, in Matale, where she later established the craft cooperative that came to be known as the Matale Heritage Centre - reviving traditional skills of wood carving and brass-casting in addition to batik and embroidery. and were constantly collaborating with architects and designers.

The key feature of the various establishments run by Ena de Silva was that they mostly employed women from the neighbourhood and it fitted into a strong belief around empowering women to be self reliant. After her passing in 2015, the name of the workshop was changed to the Aluwihare Heritage Centre to honour her family and village name and to start on a new chapter in its long history.

Upcoming (0)

Sorry, there are no upcoming events

Past (9)

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes primary image

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes

Sat, Nov 4, 6:00 PM

Free

Talk – Making a Collection primary image

Talk – Making a Collection

Sat, Oct 28, 6:00 PM

Free

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena primary image

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Sat, Nov 5, 10:00 AM

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Wed, Nov 2, 5:30 PM

Check ticket price on event

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour primary image

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct

Sat, Oct 29, 10:00 AM

Free

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran primary image

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran

Sat, Oct 22, 5:30 PM GMT+5:30

Free

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran primary image

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran

Free

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes primary image

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes

Sat, Nov 4, 6:00 PM

Free

Talk – Making a Collection primary image

Talk – Making a Collection

Sat, Oct 28, 6:00 PM

Free

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena primary image

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Sat, Nov 5, 10:00 AM

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Wed, Nov 2, 5:30 PM

Check ticket price on event

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour primary image

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct

Sat, Oct 29, 10:00 AM

Free

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran primary image

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran

Sat, Oct 22, 5:30 PM GMT+5:30

Free

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran primary image

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran

Free

A 'pavement sale' in 1961, under the porch of Ena de Silva's house on Alfred Place is where it all began. She designed many of the fabrics along with her son Anil Gamini Jayasuriya and Laki Senanayake working from the courtyard and studio of her house. Overwhelming demand allowed Ena de Silva to open a shop in Colpetty selling cloth, clothing, and soft furnishings with workshops in Kotte and the suburbs.

Starting from the magnificent ceiling panels at the Bentota Beach Hotel and banners for the Lanka Oberoi her work would travel and be commissioned to adorn venues internationally. Some of the work for these projects was done in the garden of her father's house, in Matale, where she later established the craft cooperative that came to be known as the Matale Heritage Centre - reviving traditional skills of wood carving and brass-casting in addition to batik and embroidery. and were constantly collaborating with architects and designers.

The key feature of the various establishments run by Ena de Silva was that they mostly employed women from the neighbourhood and it fitted into a strong belief around empowering women to be self reliant. After her passing in 2015, the name of the workshop was changed to the Aluwihare Heritage Centre to honour her family and village name and to start on a new chapter in its long history.

Events

Sorry, there are no upcoming events
Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes primary image

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes

Sat, Nov 4, 6:00 PM

Free

Talk – Making a Collection primary image

Talk – Making a Collection

Sat, Oct 28, 6:00 PM

Free

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena primary image

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Sat, Nov 5, 10:00 AM

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Wed, Nov 2, 5:30 PM

Check ticket price on event

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour primary image

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct

Sat, Oct 29, 10:00 AM

Free

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran primary image

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran

Sat, Oct 22, 5:30 PM GMT+5:30

Free

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran primary image

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran

Free

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes primary image

Talk – Visions of the Wilderness: Ena de Silva–Over Half a Century of Notes

Sat, Nov 4, 6:00 PM

Free

Talk – Making a Collection primary image

Talk – Making a Collection

Sat, Oct 28, 6:00 PM

Free

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena primary image

Exhibition Tour – Imagining New Natures: Collaborations with Ena

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Sat, Nov 5, 10:00 AM

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Moder primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Moder

Wed, Nov 2, 5:30 PM

Check ticket price on event

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour primary image

Living with Ena: In-Situ Exhibition Tour

Free

Ena de Silva and the Making  of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct primary image

Ena de Silva and the Making of a Sri Lankan Modern: Exhibition Tour 29 Oct

Sat, Oct 29, 10:00 AM

Free

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran primary image

The celebrated life of Ena de Silva by architect Anjalendran

Sat, Oct 22, 5:30 PM GMT+5:30

Free

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran primary image

Ena de Silva Sarongs & Memorabilia: View of a collection with Anjalendran

Free