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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Personality Plus - Swarna Obeysekere : A well-designed career
Name : Swarna Obeysekere Everyone should have a goal and work towards it until it is achieved. This was the path to success for Swarna Obeysekere, well-known interior designer and Chairperson of the National Design Centre (NDC). Creativity, having an eye for beauty and nimble fingers from her small days, coupled with hard work and determination have made her what she is today. She is a fortunate woman as she has been able to fulfil her dream of engaging in politics and serving the country, apart from her first love of interior design. Education Born as the eldest in a family of eight children, four brothers and three sisters, Obeysekere's father was an accountant while her mother was a housewife. "Our young days were full of love and happiness and all eight of us had a very happy childhood," she recalled. Educated at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo from grade three to Advanced Level, she chose Science subjects for her A/Ls though she was artistically inclined. Milestone She left school in 1964 and was at home when the Ceylon Japan Society formed the Ceylon Japan Youth Society. "My father wanted me to send an application and I not only sent an application, but became a founder member of the society. This gave me an opportunity to get familiar not only with Japanese culture, but also with various forms of art and crafts including Ikebana flower arrangements." She also helped the Asia Cultural Association (ACA) to do a pageant. ACA was associated with the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarships. It called for applications for scholarships in technical subjects in 1970. "I applied for a scholarship to study interior design as this combined both Arts and Science. I was among the five selected students. Since the Government then had restrictions on foreign travel, many company chairmen and managing directors came for the interview as they wanted an opportunity to visit Japan. "I went to Japan in 1971 and stayed there for one year. During that time, I learnt flower making at the Sogetsu School of Ikebana and interior design and advertising at the Japanese company to which I was attached. I also learnt a lot of arts and crafts such as bonsai and paper folding on my own," she said. Career Obeysekere joined Highlands College, Nugegoda as a Science and Maths teacher in 1967 and was there for 10 years. After coming back from Japan, she started classes in flower arrangements as the subject of Interior Design was unheard of at the time. From 1972 -1979, she conducted an exhibition of Ikebana flower arrangements annually with her students. Interior design She said: "From younger days, I liked arranging the house in different manners and doing up the garden. This, I think, is the start of my career in interior design". She started conducting classes in interior design in 1979 while the Association of Interior Designers was formed in 1984. The first exhibition in interior design titled 'Interiors 85' was held in 1985 and became an annual event. To upgrade the quality of products and designs, the Association of Interior Designers started a program to recognise and reward interior designers in 1986. Furniture, fabrics, flooring, lighting, decorative accessories as well as garden items were on display at the exhibitions with model room settings. "The exhibitions were very popular but it was quite a challenge to develop and build up the field of interior design as resources were very scarce," Obeysekere said. "I wanted more recognition for the field of interior design by way of an act in Parliament. Therefore, I made a proposal in 1995 and gave it to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was then the Opposition Leader. I also gave copies to the then Minister of Trade Kingsley T. Wickremaratne. "With their assistance, the act was passed in Parliament as the Sri Lanka Institute of Interior Designers Act No 2 of 1998. This gave more professional status to the field. National Design Centre She was appointed as Chairperson of the NDC which has given her the opportunity to develop the local crafts, develop new designs, upgrade and modify existing products. The NDC develops prototypes of their designs at the workshops. An exhibition of new designs is being planned. "I was waiting for an opportunity to develop crafts people. Developing them on a private capacity is difficult because they are based in the remotest villages in the country." She said that developing the craftsman is essential if we want to move upmarket. In foreign countries, designers create labels while trading houses follow suit because designers are important. "We cannot compete with India or China as they are low cost, mass scale producers. Therefore, the only alternative available to us is to move upmarket with good designs and quality," she stressed. Future of NDC She has identified five product groups targeting foreign markets and is in the process of developing these. Souvenirs, festive decorations, product designs, decorative accessories and complimentaries, presentations and packaging are the five areas being developed. Souvenirs will be made of rush and reed, pottery as well as wood to depict places or events, ex. Ruvanwelisaya. "I am trying to train women because empowering them boost the economy," she said. NDC has also developed a National Diploma in Design. It is a two-year course with on-the-job training and consists of product design, environmental design and graphics and visual communication. To upgrade the knowledge of craftsmen, the NDC has introduced the program, Higher National Certificate in Crafts. In keeping with the Government's vision, the NDC has developed the 'Applied Skills' program targeted towards developing the youth of the country. It teaches 20 different skills such as tiling, wall painting, spray painting, flower making and curtaining. Each course is of 35 weeks duration and NDC will give a job licence to prove the competency of the participant. Way forward "The best way to empower rural people is to develop the small and medium industries sector. SMIs should get all the encouragement and strength as the Government is not in a position to provide jobs for everybody. Therefore, each person should develop his or her own skills without waiting for hand-outs from the Government." Politics In 1995, a seminar on 'Women in Politics' was organised by the then Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as it was his wish to see more women participating in politics. Obeysekere took part in this seminar and since then has been involved in politics concerning women. "I got an opportunity to monitor the Wayamba Elections which was a shocking experience. Had I not seen it, I would not have believed it." She was also a member of the drafting committee for the 17th Amendment and thinks that women should be more involved in politics. Advice "The home is not a shop or a display centre. It should convey your identity and also be comfortable and relaxing. Identify the activities of each room and keep only the furniture and accessories needed for it as an over-crowded room is not a comforting sight. "Most people now want a bar corner in their homes, but not a religious corner," she said and suggested a tea corner instead of a bar corner "which will prove our identity and also be a pride to display." Family Married to film director Vasantha Obeysekere, she is the mother of two children - a son and daughter. Her daughter, following her footsteps, is studying for a degree on Interior Design at the Middlesex University in UK.
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