The moment you say you are visiting Colombo in Srilanka everybody tells you that you should not miss the Barefoot Gallery. Having heard so much about it, even read about it in the in-flight magazine, I decided I have to check out this place soon. So on the very first day of my stay in Srilanka, at 9.00 o’clock in the morning (ahh..women and shopping!!) I found myself standing outside the brightly colored wooden doors of the barefoot gallery in the heart of the Colombo city. And trust me it’s an imaginative and colorful journey once you step inside those doors.
Bright is the color philosophy of Barefoot. Hand dyed, hand-woven, ecofriendly fabrics and textile-based products is what they make. Barbara Sansoni the creative force behind all Barefoot products founded this company of rural weavers 30 years back. The rural womenfolk who through weaving have made themselves economically independent make all these products. Its very easy to recognize a barefoot product be it diaries, books, adorable cloth animal toys, bags, clothing, table linen, cushions etc. The simple geometric patterns and bright colors of the slightly coarse hand-woven cloth set it apart from others. This unique design and philosophy of this company has won them the Super Brand award this year.
The Barefoot store now includes an art gallery, bookshop, café and venue for theatre, music and dance. It has become a hotspot for all the local musicians, artists, actors, musicians and travelers. I was lucky to enjoy the sat live jazz music session in the Barefoot alfresco cafeteria. No wonder that barefoot is a much talked about and a must visit venue in Colombo for locals and foreign visitors.
Images from personal collection.
1 comment:
Hi Trupti,
Love the place, it is very interesting. Am listing it as a stop for my Sri Lanka trip (whenever that happens that is!) Thanks for sharing!
Chandan
Post a Comment