Tree Talks: Plant Pigments

In celebration of the Lunuganga gardens 75th anniversary, Tree Talks podcast explores the lives of flora and ecosystems within the gardens. Bought on the eve of independence in 1948, Lunuganga is Geoffrey Bawa’s first and longest running architectural endeavour, join us as we unravel the intricacies of this living archive. This episode is an exploration of pigment extractions and the human connection to trees through craft with Fashion Designer and Researcher Sanjeewa Wijesundara. Sanjeewa expounds upon the nuances and diversity of pigments and the processes used throughout history for extraction. With the help of select trees he reflects on the intimacy between colourist and plants nourished through technical experimentation and respectful curiosity. This episode follows a path from the Field of Jars to the East Terrace passing by the Kumbuk, Cashew, Jackfruit, Mahogany, Tamarind and Hibiscus trees. A map with the sites and sounds of this episode along with other resources are available on our websites. To Lunuganga: https://lunuganga.garden/Tree-Talks-EP02-Plant-Pigments Geoffrey Bawa Trust: https://geoffreybawa.com/tree-talks Special thanks to Mr Sanjeewa Wijesundara for his insight and passion for bringing natural dye extraction to the popular discourse and Shamin De Silva for the editing and sound design of this episode.