Language is probably the most important part of every culture. Sri Lanka has had a multitude of influences, and the Dutch have made significant contributions to its already rich language since their arrival in the 17th century. Words ‘borrowed’from Dutch were initially used to fill gaps in the Sinhala language. But they have stood the test of time and are still spoken today. Ketalaya (derived from ketel in Dutch), koppaya (derived from kopje) and Artapal (derived from aardappel), to mention just a few of many.
With this in mind AOD’s young design students have taken on a new creative challenge. Each designer will select a Sinhala word of Dutch origin and design a series of posters depicting the word in both languages and an image of its meaning. The poster series will celebrate the Dutch influences that have lingered on and helped shape Sri Lankan language and culture today. All the posters will be exhibited at the Dutch Burgher Union on the 14th of November freely available to the public.
This project is collaboration between AOD, the Netherlands Embassy in Colombo together with the Dutch Burgher Union (DBU) and is part of the Sri Lanka Design Festival 2015.