Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo will present “Tilda Swims the Channel,” a solo exhibition by London-based artist Chudamani Clowes, running from October 17 to November 23, 2025.
The exhibition features sculpture, painting, and performance works that examine themes of migration, ecological decline, and colonial legacies. Clowes uses layered translucent materials to represent the sea as both a vessel of hope and a site of hostility for migrants.
Central to the work are two recurring motifs: rice and coral. Rice represents survival in the Global South, while coral serves as a witness to the climate crisis. Tilda rice packets—a common commodity—function as a metaphor for the interconnected histories of trade, migration, and empire. The mixed-media compositions employ textured, layered surfaces that evoke ocean topography, with some pieces shimmering like water. Titles drawn from Japanese haiku contribute to the poetic quality of the work.
The exhibition’s public program includes a performance titled “Tilda Journeys to the Port” on October 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM. Clowes will walk from Galle Road to the entrance of Colombo Port wearing a painted structure referencing migration, food security, and ecological precarity. The performance addresses the theme of refuge that remains inaccessible.
Clowes holds an MFA from the Royal College of Art, London (2014) and a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design (2008). Her work has been shown internationally, with previous solo exhibitions at Saskia Fernando Gallery (2018), Griffin Gallery, London (2015), and Imperial College, London (2016). Her work is included in the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection in London. She has received the Griffin Art Prize and the William Morris Art Prize.
The exhibition will be open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Saskia Fernando Gallery, 138 Galle Road, Colombo 03. Established in 2009, Saskia Fernando Gallery specializes in contemporary Sri Lankan art and was the first gallery to represent contemporary Sri Lankan artists internationally.
Image courtesy of the artist
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