While in Sri Lanka for extended Ayurveda treatment, and later rambling a bit, I met an earnest young artist named Rasika specializing in postcards, diligently hand-painted and reflecting visual motifs of his culturally unique homeland.
I, unsurprisingly, purchased many many postcards from him and struck up a friendship. He would come to my villa to work on paintings and I would sometimes visit him at his stand at the market in historic Fort Galle.
I mailed many of his postcards around the world so hope his spirit lives on refrigerators and in shoeboxes and scrapbooks as well as in hearts.
I purchased him a special ink stamp as a token of friendship and he also help me acquire a return address stamp.
Oh and he tracked me down a typewriter which I used while i remained there (see example).
Present Days of Chaos
Now in mid-2022/current times, His country has gone through a difficult season of struggle caused by corruption, economic mismanagement, cronyism, military goon squads and dodgy foreign “loan/aid” project. Increasing the difficulty beyond shortages of food, fuel, medicine etc. is the challenge of sending money to Sri Lanka as the banking system is rife with fraud.
Anyway, Rasika, who is no longer “young“ I suppose, before the current public health/economic meltdown, had set up a small shop of his own but, no longer able to maintain it with the lack of tourists. I’m hoping this little spark I’m sending out in the world will reignite some goodness for him and his art. or drop him a postcard from your part of the world.
Rasika Udaya Kumara
"Thaksala” Udumulla
Kalupe, Hikkaduwa
Sri Lanka
“Ceylon Relation” video channel
Rasika now has a Youtube Channel called “Ceylon Relation“, please do a solid and subscribe and watch his exploits and document different experiences around the island nation formerly called Ceylon. Please consider doing the clickity, click.
You can find him on Facespace as well: https://www.facebook.com/racika.udayakumara.5
Bonus: stamps go well with postcards, even if expired./cancelled stamps, buy anyhow, here are some Sri Lanka stamps See: Artifacts: Sri Lanka / ink address and postal stamps + tea shack