Curator

B.A Hons History (Wales), M.A Medieval Studies (York),
Ph. D History (Kings College, London)
Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (UK & Sri Lanka)

Art historian, historian, academic, writer, explorer and award winning filmmaker. Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda is one of the leading authorities on the art, history and culture of Sri Lanka. The author of four major works on the art and heritage of Sri Lanka, he has taught and lectured on three continents, in the USA, UK, India and Sri Lanka. As Visiting Fulbright Scholar in 2006 he taught the 1st ever course on Sri Lankan Art and Architecture at the University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,USA.

In 2009 he delivered a series of lectures on Sri Lanka's Art and Culture as part of Asian Art Week in London. Visiting Fellow at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2012), he has also spoken on several occasions at the Nehru Memorial Museum, one of India's most prestigious venues.

Originally a historian of British India, his first book, A Travellers History of India (UK, USA, 1994), a sweeping survey of Indian culture and history for travellers, is now in its 5th edition worldwide and has been translated into Chinese and Russian, amongst other world languages.

Ridi Vihare The World of Stanley Kirinde

In 2003 he was commissioned by the late Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar to produce The World of Stanley Kirinde (2005) to represent the art, heritage, landscape and culture of Sri Lanka to the world. This was followed by a study of medieval Sinhalese culture, Ridi Vihare. The Flowering of Kandyan Art (2007), the 2nd ever major study of Kandyan culture. His next major work was Eloquence in Stone. The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka (2008). A collaboration with Sri Lanka's most celebrated photographer Nihal Fernando and Studio Times photographers, this is now deemed the classic work on the story of art and architecture in Sri Lanka.

In Search of the Malwatu Oya documentary

In 2019 he led an expedition down the Malwatu Oya, Sri Lanka's most historic river, producing his first documentary film, In Search of the Malwatu Oya. This has won 6 international awards.

In 2023 his short film A Jewel in Ivory was shown at the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin. His latest film, Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines (2024), a collaborative current affairs documentary supported by the Pulitzer Center, on Sri Lanka's economic collapse and social uprising, has seen screenings in 15 countries across five continents.

Much of Dr.Tammita-Delgoda's career however, has been dedicated to promoting the culture and heritage of Sri Lanka and keeping its rituals, traditions and crafts alive. He has worked with traditional craftsmen, sponsored and curated exhibitions by leading painters, and pioneered various initiatives in public diplomacy, culture and tourism. In order to sustain the island's ancient living traditions of dance and drumming, he has enacted some of the great ritual dances of Sri Lanka in their original settings.

Special Thanks

Heartfelt thanks to Hiranya Malwatte and Devaka Seneviratne for their stunning photography, and to Saroja Dharmadasa for her beautiful designs and illustrations. A special thank-you to Harith Soysa for his invaluable support.