- Buddhi Batiks and Innovate launch Quirky Lanka notebook collection
The Quirky Lanka notebook collection was launched on 26 January at Barefoot Gallery, bringing together the minds at Innovate and Buddhi Batiks. It embodies what it means to be Sri Lankan, whilst also opening hearts and minds to being global citizens; the designs celebrate everyday “Sri Lankanisms”, with a twist of new age punk whilst also embedding values of freedom, breaking boundaries, and exploration into the design themes.
Innovate is a Sri Lankan-owned and designed brand that is driven by the purpose of uplifting and empowering the youth. They are driven by a mission of enabling youth to unleash their potential by exploring their passions and discovering their multifaceted talents and skills in their journey of self-discovery.
Buddhi Batiks by Darshi Keerthisena is an iconic Sri Lankan brand that has taken Sri Lankan batiks to the world since 1970. The brand’s design language is inspired by its heritage and continues to push boundaries through contemporary designs to make the art of batik relevant to modern Sri Lankan culture.
Speaking at the launch of Quirky Lanka, Keerthisena commented: “We are thrilled to launch our Quirky Lanka collection, which embodies the essence of being Sri Lankan while embracing a global perspective. The designs in this collection celebrate our unique cultural heritage with a modern twist and encourage freedom, boundary-breaking, and exploratory design. We are proud to bring together the worlds of Innovate and Buddhi Batiks in this collection, and invite everyone to join us in celebrating the limitless possibilities of being both Sri Lankan and global citizens.”
She further noted that Buddhi Batiks is a small, niche, and artisanal brand, while Innovate is a larger company. “So for us, being given the opportunity to collaborate and come up with something new and tap into the values of today’s world is really something that excited us,” she told us, expressing her thoughts on the collaboration.
As a core part of the Quirky Lanka launch, and in line with their brand’s purpose, Keerthisena stated that they will also facilitate youth entrepreneurship by funding a selected youth innovation project in Koswadiya via the Buddhi Foundation through the funds raised from the auction of the original Quirky Lanka art pieces by Buddhi Batiks.
Sharing her thoughts on today’s youth and why it is important to uplift and give them a platform to shine, she stated: “What I truly admire about them today is that they’re not just thinking about themselves, they also think about how they can give back to the community.” As an afterthought, she added that this was why they had planned the auction in the latter part of the evening – it is because they want to uplift youth communities, she said, while gesturing to the many youths present at the event.
Keerthisena stated that all the proceeds from the auction will go into a youth entrepreneurship programme that will be hosted under the Buddhi Foundation and also supported by Innovate.