‘To Be Seen’ after decades of quiet mastery in Matara

• Batik artist Jezima Mohamed mounts solo exhibition in Colombo from 20-27 August at Curado Art Space on Park Road, Colombo 05

The Matara Festival for the Arts (MFA), an initiative of Freedom Hub, and endorsed by the New Zealand High Commission, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (ICCR) of the High Commission of India, the John Keells Foundation, and Official Banking Partner Nations Trust Bank Private Banking, together present ‘To Be Seen’, the debut solo exhibition of veteran batik artist Jezima Mohamed.

The exhibition will run from 20-27 August at Curado Art Space on Park Road, Colombo 05.

At 86, Jezima Mohamed still draws every piece by hand, orchestrating complex colour planning, and vibrant dyeing including gradient blends, and evolving integrated  techniques—including quilting and jute work—alongside her dedicated workshop team of 15 multi-generational women in Matara.

Born in Matara in 1940, Jezima began sewing at 13 to help support her family following her father’s death. Married at 17, she established a handloom workshop in her garden at 19 with her husband’s encouragement. When devastating floods destroyed her looms in October 1971, she made a decisive pivot to batik—a medium she had long loved but had not yet pursued commercially.

Drawing vivid inspiration from Sri Lanka’s lush nature, wildlife, everyday people, and cultural heritage, her hand-drawn, intricate textiles quickly garnered international attention. Her work found showcases across Switzerland, Rome, and Milan, and Las Vegas, and reached Buckingham Palace across three separate Jubilees for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was photographed wearing one of Jezima’s bespoke scarves.

Jezima even established a boutique at Galle Face Court in Colombo, but the communal violence of July 1983 forced her to shutter the space and retreat to her southern workshop. For the next four decades—navigating war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic crisis—she sustained her label, Jez-Look Batik, purely through word of mouth, quietly supported by south coast hotels, discerning tour guides, and travel writers such as Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler, Nancy Huang (Bradt Guides), and Zinara Ratnayake.

Despite international acclaim, Jezima’s contributions remained largely unsung within Sri Lanka’s art landscape. A vital turning point came through the Matara Festival for the Arts—which spotlighted her work in a feature exhibition alongside contemporary artist Chathurika Jayani. Momentum accelerated through features at the Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival, a pop-up with Selyn in Colombo, and an acquisition by the World Bank Sri Lanka for its permanent collection. Jezima has met and been written about by Afdhel Aziz, director-producer of National Geographic India’s cultural series Jayaflava, and will this September receive her first local  Lifetime Achievement Award.

Exhibition curator and Matara Festival for the Arts Co-Founder/Festival Director Chanchala Gunewardena said: “Regional creators  outside urban centers are often diminished as craft practitioners rather than primary artists - initiatives such as the Matara Festival allow us to centre and delve deeper into what is otherwise overlooked in the periphery. ‘To Be Seen’ fulfills Jezima’s long-held dream to present her vision and evident mastery in a dedicated solo gallery context, and asking viewers to see batik with eyes open to appreciate the painterly intellect, technical labour, and continued willingness to experiment embedded in her multi-layered dye work.”

 ‘To Be Seen’ is a celebration of technical mastery, enduring community, and a lifetime spent dedicated to illuminating the beauty of her homeland.