Name: Kala Setu — Sri Lanka (DICE 2026)
Start: 2026-09-23T09:00:00+05:30
End: 2026-09-30T18:00:00+05:30
Location: Sri Lanka (Colombo & Galle)

Question 1

What is Kala Setu Sri Lanka (DICE 2026)?

Accepted Answer

Kala Setu is a premier bilateral cultural exchange taking place in Sri Lanka from 23 to 30 September 2026, presented by DICE (Dolna International Cultural Exchange) and Dolna Art in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. Under the motto "Building the Kalasetu between India and Sri Lanka", 13 delegation members from India—including 10 renowned artists, Curatorial Head Mithu Basu, and coordination/technical leads—engage in collaborative artistic workshops, cultural exploration, and creative dialogue across Colombo and Galle.

Question 2

Who are the 13 members of the Dolna Delegation to Sri Lanka?

Accepted Answer

The 13-member Dolna Delegation includes: 10 eminent Indian artists—Zen Vartan (Jitendra Gosai), Sanjay Tikkal, Kandi Narsimlu, Subodh Poddar, Dinkar Jadhav, Nilesh Vede, Anukta Mukherjee, Vallery Puri, Ram Onkar, and Nawal Kishore; Founder & Curatorial Head Mithu Basu; Delegation Coordinator Geeta Das; and Tech Support cum Videographer Raviprakash Mishra.

Question 3

Who is leading the Kala Setu Sri Lanka delegation?

Accepted Answer

Mithu Basu (Mitu Basu), Founder of Dolna Art, leads the delegation as Curatorial Head. With academic background in Art & Aesthetics from Bombay University and Fine Arts from Shantiniketan, she has spent decades curating pioneering international platforms for living artists.

Question 4

What is Geeta Das’s role in Kala Setu 2026?

Accepted Answer

Geeta Das serves as the Delegation Coordinator for Kala Setu Sri Lanka, responsible for managing delegation schedules, partner communications with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, and overseeing all on-ground logistics.

Question 5

What is Raviprakash Mishra’s role in Kala Setu 2026?

Accepted Answer

Raviprakash Mishra is the Tech Support cum Videographer for Kala Setu. He manages Dolnaart’s digital platforms, web systems, and creative content, and directs the official visual documentation, cinematic videography, photography, and post-production storytelling across Sri Lanka.

Question 6

What is the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau’s role in Kala Setu?

Accepted Answer

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau is the official collaborative partner for Kala Setu, facilitating cultural experiences, site access, artistic workshops, and fostering lasting bilateral friendship between the creative communities of India and Sri Lanka.

Question 7

Who is Zen Vartan (Jitendra Gosai) and what is his art style?

Accepted Answer

Zen Vartan (Jitendra Gosai), from Delwada, Diu, Gujarat, holds an M.A. in Creative Painting from M.S. University, Baroda (1992) with 30+ years in practice. He is celebrated globally as both a canvas artist and live performance painter who organically fuses ballet and painting at major venues like KalaGhoda.

Question 8

Who is Sanjay Tikkal and what are his works inspired by?

Accepted Answer

Sanjay Tikkal from Pune, Maharashtra holds a G.D. Art (Painting) from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya with 25+ years in practice. He creates rhythmic, semi-abstract landscapes capturing the fleeting moods and silent poetry of nature through dynamic brushwork and emotive color.

Question 9

Who is Kandi Narsimlu and what is his art subject?

Accepted Answer

Kandi Narsimlu from Hyderabad, Telangana holds B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in Painting with 25+ years in practice. Inspired by rural Telangana, he creates vibrant figurative paintings and sculptures featuring elongated figures, expressive eyes, and intricate traditional attire.

Question 10

Who is Subodh Poddar and what is his artistic signature?

Accepted Answer

Subodh Poddar from Mumbai holds a B.F.A. from Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art with 35+ years in practice. He is known for rapid, spontaneous, minimalist line drawings translating the kinetic energy of human forms and Indian classical dance into visual rhythm.

Question 11

Who is Dinkar Jadhav and what is his central motif?

Accepted Answer

Dinkar Jadhav from Pune holds a G.D. Art from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya (1994) with 30 years in practice. Renowned for dynamic impasto paintings of horses and bulls with thick paint texture and dramatic light, his horse motif serves as a metaphor for freedom and the search for light.

Question 12

Who is Nilesh Vede and what is his visual language?

Accepted Answer

Nilesh Vede from Mumbai is a B.F.A. graduate from Sir J.J. School of Art with 20+ years of practice. He merges classical portraiture with abstract philosophy, featuring serene meditative faces overlaid with intricate textures and ancient script.

Question 13

Who is Anukta Mukherjee and what does she paint?

Accepted Answer

Anukta Mukherjee (Anukta Ghosh Mukherjee) from Mumbai holds a Diploma from London Art College with 15+ years in practice. Her vibrant, nostalgic canvases preserve India’s disappearing architectural heritage, facades, and intimate urban vignettes.

Question 14

Who is Vallery Puri and what is her artistic approach?

Accepted Answer

Vallery Puri from New Delhi has 20+ years of practice following training at Sir J.J. School of Art. She creates immersive, layered abstract landscapes that act as visual meditations on nature’s subtle transitions and inner tranquility.

Question 15

Who is Ram Onkar and what are his paintings known for?

Accepted Answer

Ram Onkar (Ramonkar Kanojiya) holds a B.F.A. from Raja Mansingh Tomar Arts University, Gwalior with 25+ years in practice. He is celebrated for luminous, spiritually charged depictions of Buddha and divine figures in radiant palettes and geometric harmony.

Question 16

Who is Nawal Kishore and what is his signature style?

Accepted Answer

Nawal Kishore from New Delhi holds a B.F.A. from College of Art, Delhi with 25+ years of practice. He is celebrated for graceful elongated female figures against bold, textured backgrounds celebrating the resilience and dignity of the modern Indian woman.

Question 17

What are the dates and locations for Kala Setu 2026?

Accepted Answer

Kala Setu Sri Lanka takes place from 23 September to 30 September 2026 across scenic and cultural locations in Sri Lanka, including Colombo and the historic coastal town of Galle.

KALASETU

A bridge is not built
between places.
It is built between people.

Across landscape.
Across culture.
Across conversations.

Artists travelling from India to build the Kalasetu.

Same ocean.
New perspectives.

KALASETU

A bridge is not built
between places.
It is built between people.

Across landscape.
Across culture.
Across conversations.

Artists travelling from India to build the Kalasetu.

Same ocean.
New perspectives.

KALASETU

A bridge is not built between places.It is built between people.

Across landscape.Across culture.Across conversations.

Artists travelling from India to build the Kalasetu.

Same ocean.New perspectives.

KALASETU

A bridge is not built between places.It is built between people.

Across landscape.Across culture.Across conversations.

Artists travelling from India to build the Kalasetu.

Same ocean.New perspectives.

A bridge is not built
between places.
It is built between people.

Across landscape.
Across culture.
Across conversations.

Same ocean.
New perspectives.

A bridge is not built
between places.
It is built between people.

Across landscape.
Across culture.
Across conversations.

Same ocean.
New perspectives.