Dankotuwa Porcelain collaboration with AOD moves to new heights

From left: AOD Director Ranmal Ekanayake, Hiruni Abeywardena (winner), Dankotuwa Porcelain CEO Channa Gunawardana and Dankotuwa Porcelain Assistant General Manager – International Marketing Sachini Bodhipaksha

From left: AOD students Ruwani Rajapakse, Hiruni Abeywardena (winner), Nawoda Bandara, Nimmie Bernadette, AOD Director Ranmal Ekanayake, Dankotuwa Porcelain CEO Channa Gunawardana and Dankotuwa Porcelain Assistant General Manager – International Marketing Sachini Bodhipaksha 

• DPL supports AOD’s ‘Design for Export and Local’ initiative 
• First time winner selected from AOD 

Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC (DPL), synonymous for luxurious and elegant porcelain tableware, entered into a strategic collaboration with Academy of Design (AOD) earlier this year to create a series of exclusive and spectacular design opportunities, propelling the industry in to a novel arena of creativity. 

As the stepping stone of this strategic collaborative journey, Dankotuwa initiated a design competition, ‘The Designer’ to expose students to the wonders of international level design capabilities, increasing opportunities and opening new avenues for design and concept development. Hiruni Abeyawardena, a second-year fashion design and textile student at AOD was selected as the first winner from a pool of creative talent and was awarded at the Dankotuwa Porcelain Flagship outlet located at Guildford Crescent Colombo 07.

Commenting on her iconic win, Hiruni stated, “After completing my Ordinary Levels, I joined AOD as I had always been fascinated by drawing since I was a child. AOD aided me in constantly refining my talents and offering opportunities to learn more, such as the Dankotuwa porcelain design competition, which was collaborated with AOD. Participating in this competition was very exciting as it gave me exposure to a new industry and experience in engaging with the design process. I’m grateful for providing me the greatest chance at winning the competition and receiving all the privileges that come with it.” 

Hiruni has a keen interest in working on tasks involving artistic forms, designs, patterns, as well as developing content that allows for self-expression. She is an individual passionately driven by the prospect of converting her enthusiasm for fashion into a career as she has always been captivated by all aspects of the designing process. 

Academy of Design Chairperson Linda Speldewinde said: “This is just the start of a collaborative journey and we are eager to engage together in the future too. We are excited to provide opportunities for young designers such as Hiruni to showcase their talents and are delighted that Dankotuwa Porcelain will incorporate local design talent in their product manufacturing. Through such collaborations, we are looking at supporting AOD’s Design for Exports initiative by taking local design talent that is unique and interesting to an international market.”

Dankotuwa Porcelain, known for their culture of innovation, continuously works with many international designers and this collaboration is integral to initiate the involvement of local designers, giving local students the opportunity to have a hands-on experience and gain critical knowledge about the Porcelain industry under the guidance and expertise of the Company. 

“Dankotuwa was well pleased to embark on this new venture with AOD which will bring a fresh outlook to designing porcelain products and will empower the young talent to embrace new opportunities in the market. We were encouraged by the designs that were created and selecting a winner was not an easy task,” stated Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC Chief Executive Officer Channa Gunawardana. “This initiative is just a beginning of many new possibilities and avenues. Through this we hope to enthral our customers and stakeholders, and launch an exotic range of mesmerising and innovative designs and products in the months ahead,” concluded Gunawardana.

As organisations that embrace change and innovation, Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC and AOD, are confident that collaborations of this nature will generate immense value for the industries, creating opportunities and access for novel design skills to enter the markets while expanding the talents of designers.