My career as a female entrepreneur, working in Sri Lanka, shoulder to shoulder with local artisans, is not a life I had ever planned for myself. My life trajectory changed when I was selected to be a part of the New Colombo Plan social mobility initiative, an opportunity that saw me interning and living inColombo, Sri Lanka, for ten weeks. The New Colombo Plan was launched in 2014 byThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian Government to encourage Australian undergraduate students to undertake study tours and internships in the Indo-Pacific region. The aim of this mobility endeavour is to increase knowledge of the region among young Australians, deepen Australia's relationships in the region, promote cultural exchange and understanding, and build people-to-people links between the two countries.Through the cultural studies and networking opportunities the New Colombo plan gave me, I developed a deep love for Sri Lanka.
After my NCP internshipI completed my thesis project on place-sensitive architecture, focusing on the Sri Lankan essence. I explored the idea of porous design, which focuses on creating a sense of place. The design concept uses the surrounding culture as a guide to inform the design process while creating something innovative and future-forward. For this project, I received a High Distinction and the highest grade of my year group. It also won me the Hassel Prize and a nomination for Australia Graduate of the Year. Once my studies were complete, I returned to Sri Lanka and started designing jewellery with my now business partner, Susie. My work drew inspiration from Sri Lanka's vibrant coloured sarees, the festive lanterns of Vesak Poya and the modest, understated sense of elegance I experience daily in Sri Lanka. Fuelled by my Western design sensibilities, I design jewellery that encompasses my Australian experiences and my unconditional love for Sri Lanka. Along with Susie, I established a workshop called Olive Yu in a place called Ahangama, just south of Galle, and began working directly with local artisans to develop new skills and designs- giving the traditional jewellery craft a new lease on life.
In 2019 I was introduced to Chandramani Thenuwara through my advisor from Curtin University. Chandramini pioneered change for Sri Lanka’s hand-weaving industry. With an ingenious shift of continuously changing colour tonal values across the width of the six-yard uncut garment, she innovated the humble cotton handwoven saree into the realms of haute couture in the 1980s. This method of colour weaving exists to date inSri Lanka and beyond. I was drawn to Chandramani’s story as a design entrepreneur as well as her adventurous spirit and advocacy for creative design. Her story has been hugely inspirational to my life and work. I was touched by her experience as she generously shared what it means to conduct creative enterprise innovatively and ethically.
After my NCP scholarship ended, I designed of an immersive experience to tell a small story about social mobility through the life and works of Chandramani Thenuwara. If her life's story can have such an effect on me as anAustralian woman in Sri Lanka, I can only imagine the impact it could have on Sri Lankan women. Celebrating and supporting women in the arts and crafts industries can help to create a more diverse and equitable environment where women can feel encouraged to become entrepreneurs and break barriers through innovation and invention. Increased visibility and recognition of female entrepreneurs help to inspire other women, like me, to pursue similar paths and become more resilient. By increasing visibility and access to entrepreneurial opportunities, women will be better equipped to make informed decisions and take advantage of potential opportunities to take charge of their lives like Chandramani did: SixYards on Her Own Terms.
I strongly believe that when people from different cultures and backgrounds collaborate, they can learn from each other's skills and strengths, and establish something even more powerful and meaningful. For this, I am grateful to the New Colombo Plan, and the Australian Government for supporting such a powerful initiative, and forgiving me the opportunity to meet Ms Chandramani Thenuwara who has guided me along my creative path here in Sri Lanka. I never felt I had wrapped up my NCP experience after a ten-week internship. It genuinely felt like the ten weeks were just the point of departure, but the real NCP journey is the one that I'm living now.
My story is one of many that bear testament to the deep personal links and entrepreneurial spirit that could be borne by these incredible cross-cultural collaborations. If not for the NCP program, I would not have had the opportunity to meet the ever so amazing, Ms Chandramani Thenuwara, a true mover and shaker in the handloom industry – and a trueembodiment of female empowerment!
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