Nomadic Artisan Design studioIllustrated Experiences

iDiscover Jaffna

Year2024
LocationJaffna
IndustryTravel & Heritage
2024iDiscover Jaffna

Step One: Warming Up in Pettah

Every good sketch starts with a warm-up, and few places are better for that than Pettah. The Jaffna Field School began with a recce walk through it: fruit carts, fabric stalls, shouting uncles, and historic buildings peeking through the chaos.

With sketchbooks in hand, we were quickly overwhelmed by everything happening around us, and that was the point. Before you can tell a place’s story, you need to learn how to see it.

Step Two: Heading North

On day two, we arrived in Jaffna, and things moved fast. There were icebreakers, recce walks, briefings, workshops, and masterclasses, plus a great deal of chart paper.

Students from Sri Lanka and the Netherlands paired up to explore the city’s urban and cultural layers. Each team chose a theme to investigate, from bodily representation and education to religious spaces and historic timelines, and slowly shaped their research into expressive multimedia stories.

Step Three: Sketching the Fort (With Very Little Shade)

As illustration mentor, I led an urban sketching workshop at Jaffna Fort. It was partly technical and partly a test of how much sun we could take.

There was something special about the setting. The fort carries centuries of Dutch history, and here were Dutch and Sri Lankan students sitting side by side on its ruins, drawing the same walls with completely different eyes. We sketched textures, crumbling stone, people passing through, and quiet corners. It was messy, imperfect, and very real, much like Jaffna.

Step Four: From Polite Hellos to Team Hugs

The friendships were the most heartwarming part of the whole programme. What started with polite introductions turned into team hugs, shared sketchbooks, inside jokes, and genuinely collaborative work.

At one point, I looked up and saw Dutch students proudly wearing Kandyan sarees and sarongs beside their Sri Lankan teammates. It’s a moment I’ll always remember.

A woman decorates another woman's hat with leaves and flowers during an outdoor activity, with participants engaged in a playful environment.
A group of people gathered around a man showing them something on a camera in a semi-outdoor setting, surrounded by greenery.

Step Five: The Exhibition

The final weekend ended with a public exhibition: a series of personal, context-rich installations. There were abstract emotional maps that charted feelings instead of streets, and immersive meditation spaces built from the students’ research. It was storytelling you could actually walk through.

Dutch Ambassador Bonnie Horbach visited the exhibition, and her engagement with the students and their stories gave them a real sense of recognition and encouragement. With multicultural teams, a room full of thoughtful work, and a diplomat listening closely, art, community, and diplomacy all came together.

Step Six: Lessons That Last

Jaffna gave us more than material for maps. It gave us moments: shared laughter, creative breakthroughs, cultural exchange, and friendships that will outlast the workshop.

I came as a mentor, but I left as a student too. Being there wasn’t only about sharing what I knew. It was about learning alongside everyone else. Centuries ago, people arrived in Jaffna to chart it and claim it. This time, we came to draw it together. And I’ll always be grateful for th

Illustration of a project board with sections labeled 'Name of the Walk' and 'Team Name', including a small map and areas for project parameters and description.
A woman stands near colorful fabric drapes in orange and teal, arranged in a decorative pattern. A ladder and other materials are visible in a spacious, well-lit indoor area.
A brightly lit interior hallway featuring colorful fabric drapes, with people engaged in activities and greenery visible through large windows.
Two women engaged in conversation in a cultural setting, one wearing a black dress and the other in a traditional saree, with posters displayed in the background.
Group photo of four women smiling together indoors, wearing casual attire and name tags, with a colorful background featuring orange decorations.
Two women smiling and chatting in a bright, open space, with other people in the background.
A group of diverse individuals, including women in colorful clothing, gather around a table to sample food in a social setting. One woman is holding a dish while examining food, and others are engaged in conversation.
A group of diverse individuals celebrating on outdoor steps, holding certificates and posing happily. Some are making peace signs while others smile broadly, with a mix of traditional and modern clothing. The background shows an urban structure with windows and greenery.