Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Saturday Oct 25, 2025
Saturday, 4 October 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Winner of George Keyt Foundation ‘Young Contemporary 2025’ – Ponnaiyah Peter from Kilinochchi, receiving award from event’s sponsor Nations Trust Bank CEO Hemantha Gunetilleke, Chief Guest British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick is also present
Group of young artists from around the island whose work was exhibited at ‘Young Contemporary 2025’
The George Keyt Foundation’s ‘Young Contemporaries 2025’ exhibition culminated with tremendous success at the Barefoot Gallery, drawing over 300 attendees on the first evening and achieving extraordinary sales of artworks.
The event, inaugurated by the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, showcased the creativity of 12 emerging artists from Sri Lanka.
After careful evaluation by a distinguished panel of judges, the coveted ‘Young Contemporary 2025 Award’ was presented to Ponnaiyah Peter, a 27‑year‑old artist from Kilinochchi. His deeply moving works, rooted in memories of war and its aftermath, shone through their powerful expression of trauma, resilience, and the search for peace. The award was presented by the event’s sponsor Nations Trust Bank CEO Hemantha Gunetilleke.
The works of the artists with the best collection were evaluated by Leena Hirdaramani, Anomaa Rajakaruna, Nelun Harasgama, and Dominic Sansoni.
George Keyt Foundation Chairman Malaka Talwatte, hailed this year’s edition as one of the most successful, highlighting the strong public response and the Foundation’s ongoing mission to promote Sri Lankan art on the national and global stage. The winner’s art captures the very spirit of the George Keyt Foundation as a space where contemporary issues find powerful expression through creativity.
