Online edition of Sunday Observer

He has no certificate of formal training but his creations prove his mastery. The gold medals he has won internationally for his creations are evidence of his skill. Damith Indrajith, Junior Sous-chef at the Taj Samudra has been one of the pioneers of 'Kitchen art' in Sri Lanka.

His skilled hands and artistic mind are always working on something unusual, elegant and attractive.

His creations vary from ice and vegetable carving or butter sculptures to paintings and decor done out of spices and other indoor and outdoor embellishments.

This butter carving was displayed at the Taj on December 31, 2000.

Peacock, done using cabbages, cucumber, leeks, tomatoes and carrots.

Fruit carvings

Taj Mahal, a butter carving

A half-done salad bowl out of a papaw.

Ice carving

After his a'levels, damith one day cycled to Bentota, three miles away from his home at Mathugama, and met the artist/sculptor the late Bevis Bawa, at his home, 'Brief'. This meeting opened the doors of opportunity for him. His dedication and inborn talent soon made him Bawa's 'best student'.

After learning the finer points of sculpture with clay, cement and lead; and studying the elaborate and delicate brush strokes with paints on solid flat substance from his 'Guruji' Bawa, Damith sought wider horizons in the hotel field.

His first appointment was with the Aitken Spence hotel chain. He was then on private business for sometime, and then joined Taj Samudra.

After working for the Hotel Hilton in Bahrain for one year, he returned to Sri Lanka, and has been with Taj for the past five years.

He held his first solo food carving exhibition titled 'Dine Decor' at the Art Gallery, Colombo in 1992.

Twenty of his paintings done with oils, watercolours, Acrylics and tea stain are exhibited at the Taj Samudra Lobby.

For special dining nights and other festive occasions at Taj, by Sous-chef Damith's ice carvings and other food carving arrangements are used as decor.

Damith brought fame to his motherland by winning two gold medals and a silver medal at the Culinary Olympics held in New Delhi in 2000. He has also won many awards locally.

"We can teach the method, but the 'art' should come through you," he says. Out of all his students, Damith made special mention of his two own brothers Dimuthu and Amitha, who also followed their Sous-chef brother's footsteps to become top kitchen artists cum chefs.