Kamala Dissanayake

Biography

Weaving the patterns of the Dumbara hills.

Kamala grew up beside a wooden pit loom in the Dumbara valley. She began weaving at twelve and now leads a small group of women weavers who work from their homes. Her signature is the stepped diamond border, woven entirely from memory.

The Craft Story

Dumbara cloth is woven with a thick weft that makes a dense, almost embroidered surface. A single wall hanging can take three weeks of daily work.