Image credit: Sri Lanka Guardian

Sri Lankan textile-led fashion designer Ruwanthi Gajadeera has presented an original cyanotype artwork to King Charles III, marking a proud UK–Sri Lanka cultural achievement and highlighting the creative contribution of Sri Lankans in the UK.

The presentation took place on Wednesday 2 September 2026 at a garden party held at the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship’s house in Bayswater, west London. The event marked the organisation’s 125th anniversary and brought together trustees, members, Commonwealth delegates, High Commissioners and students living at the League’s residence.

Gajadeera’s artwork, titled ‘Eka Mawakage Daruwo’ : ‘Children of One Mother’, reflects Sri Lankan culture, Commonwealth connections and shared belonging across ethnic and religious differences.

A cyanotype inspired by Sri Lanka’s national anthem

The title of the work comes from Sri Lanka’s national anthem. The phrase ‘Eka Mawakage Daruwo’ describes people as the children of one mother, an idea that can be understood through the shared connection between people, the island of Sri Lanka and humanity as a whole.

Gajadeera extends this message beyond Sri Lanka through a carefully constructed composition featuring the national flowers of all 56 Commonwealth member states.

Each flower was drawn by hand before being incorporated into the cyanotype. The flowers are arranged around a crown motif, creating a visual connection between the Commonwealth, national identity and the institution represented by the King.

At the centre of the crown is the High Brown Fritillary butterfly, an endangered species. Its inclusion adds an important environmental dimension to the artwork and reflects Gajadeera’s wider interest in sustainability, biodiversity and responsible material practices.

AI-generated illustration for editorial context. It is not the original artwork.

Art made with sunlight

Cyanotype is a historic photographic printing process known for its distinctive blue and white appearance. It uses a light-sensitive treatment on paper or fabric, with sunlight creating the characteristic deep blue image.

For ‘Children of One Mother’, Gajadeera sensitised the paper herself and exposed the print using sunlight alone. This method gives the work a strong connection to the natural world while retaining the hand-produced character of her practice.

The process also supports the artist’s environmental approach. According to the original report, the photochemical cyanotype process produces no toxic waste. This is consistent with Gajadeera’s interest in creating fashion and textile work through materials and methods that carry less environmental impact.

The artwork therefore brings together several ideas in one composition: Sri Lankan heritage, Commonwealth friendship, environmental care and the importance of skilled hand production.

A significant moment for Sri Lankan creativity in the UK

The presentation provided an important platform for a Sri Lankan artist developing her practice in Britain. Gajadeera is currently building her London-based studio practice through InnovationRCA, the Royal College of Art’s venture accelerator, following completion of an MA in Fashion at the College.

Her work combines Sri Lankan handloom weaving, natural dyeing and cyanotype. These techniques allow her to explore the relationship between material, place, history and social responsibility.

For British Sri Lankan communities, the occasion offered a meaningful example of how heritage and innovation can work together. Sri Lankan textile traditions were not presented simply as historical references. They formed part of a contemporary artistic practice that has gained recognition in international fashion and design circles.

Gajadeera’s achievements include becoming the first South Asian winner of the Taiwan Fashion Design Award, which she received in 2021. She was also runner-up in the Redress Design Award 2023, widely recognised as one of the world’s leading sustainable fashion competitions.

Her latest presentation demonstrates the growing visibility of Sri Lankan creative talent in the UK. It also shows how artists from the diaspora can use their work to create bridges between Sri Lanka, Britain and the wider Commonwealth.

AI-generated illustration of textile-led studio practice for editorial context.

The Victoria League’s Commonwealth role

The Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship was established to promote friendship and understanding among people from Commonwealth countries. Its London house provides accommodation for Commonwealth students and offers a setting where people from different nations can meet and build connections.

King Charles III is patron of the Victoria League. During his visit to the anniversary garden party, he spoke with students living at the house and unveiled a commemorative plaque.

The gathering also included Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera, alongside other Commonwealth representatives and High Commissioners.

The event’s focus on students and international friendship made Gajadeera’s artwork particularly appropriate. ‘Children of One Mother’ presents the Commonwealth not only as a group of member states, but also as a community of people connected through education, culture, exchange and shared responsibility.

Speaking at the gathering, John Steel KC, chairman of the League’s trustees, highlighted the importance of the King’s leadership of the Commonwealth.

> “Your leadership of the Commonwealth we consider to be of incredible importance. So do all the nations of the Commonwealth.”

The presentation came ahead of the King’s planned visit to Antigua and Barbuda in November for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Heritage, sustainability and a modern creative voice

Gajadeera’s work is significant because it connects traditional knowledge with contemporary design. Sri Lankan handloom weaving and natural dyeing are rooted in long-standing craft practices, while cyanotype offers a different visual language based on light, botanical forms and photographic experimentation.

Bringing these methods together allows the artist to explore how textiles and images can communicate identity. It also demonstrates that cultural heritage can remain active and adaptable in a modern creative environment.

For Sri Lankans in the UK, this is a story of representation as well as achievement. Gajadeera’s work carries elements of Sri Lankan culture into a prominent British setting, while the artwork itself speaks to all Commonwealth nations.

The phrase ‘Children of One Mother’ is especially resonant for a diverse diaspora community. Sri Lankans living in the UK come from different ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds. A work that emphasises shared belonging offers a constructive reminder of the values that connect communities while respecting their individual identities.

AI-generated editorial image inspired by the themes of sunlight, botanical art and Commonwealth connection.

A proud moment for the Sri Lankan diaspora

Ruwanthi Gajadeera’s presentation to King Charles III is a notable achievement for a Sri Lankan designer working in Britain. It places Sri Lankan creativity within a setting dedicated to Commonwealth friendship and gives international visibility to an artwork shaped by Sri Lankan language, symbolism and craft traditions.

The work’s message is both simple and significant: people can be connected by a shared sense of belonging, even across national, ethnic and religious differences.

Through hand-drawn flowers, sunlight and sustainable materials, ‘Eka Mawakage Daruwo’ offers a distinctive contribution to the conversation about culture and community. It is also a reminder of the contribution that Sri Lankans in the UK continue to make across the arts, education, business, science and public life.

Readers interested in further UK Sri Lankan community coverage can explore elanka’s UK associations directory, as well as the platform’s culture and community content.

Original source

This article is based on the report published by the Sri Lanka Guardian:

‘Sri Lankan Artist Gives King Charles III a Commonwealth Made in Sunlight’