Words: Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Photographs: Courtesy of Kumkum Fernando
Marking a first in the history of Coachella, Sri Lankan visual artist Kumkum Fernando who is based in Vietnam created some awe inspiring sculptures for this year’s Coachella. Considered one of the largest, most famous and most profitable music festivals in the world which regularly features some of the biggest names in music, Coachella is also known for its large art installations.
Kumkum’s towering installations titled The Messengers took center stage at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. The son of a Sri Lankan antiques and curiosities dealer, Kumkum is also the first South Asian to be given the honour of creating installations for this world famous festival. From his base in Vietnam where he works as an artist and creative director, Kumkum and his team scours the streets for found materials – patterns, shapes and colours – to reanimate into art objects at his conceptual art studio, Design by Reborn.
His creations are accompanied by thought provoking poems. He has exhibited his work in various parts of the world. Kumkum claims his creations through which he tells stories are inspired by his travels especially in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries. Kumkum is also the co-founder of Ki Saigon, an award winning advertising agency in Asia.
How did your passion for collecting lead to art?
As a child, my passion for collecting objects began at a young age, may be around 7 or 8 years old. Although I don’t recall the exact details, I have vivid memories of collecting rocks, old figurines and coins during that time.
What sort of art do you create?
My artistic approach is not bound to any specific medium. Instead, I prioritise storytelling through my artwork, selecting the most appropriate medium to convey each unique narrative.
Your most recent sculptures were seen at Coachella. How did that opportunity come about?
In July 2022, I received an email from Paul Clemente, the Art Director of Coachella, expressing his interest in my work after discovering it on his social media feed. Shortly after, we had a call to discuss the opportunity further. During our conversation, Paul mentioned his vision of scaling up my artwork to approximately 8 meters for its display at Coachella. My usual sculptural pieces are typically 2-3 feet in size.
Paul granted me complete creative freedom for this project. We had multiple meetings where I shared my drawings and ideas, and after careful consideration, Paul made the decision to maximise the scale of my artwork. The size was pushed beyond 8 meters and ended up being 20+ meters, limited only by the capacity of the largest truck that could transport it.
The fabrication of the artwork was a collaborative effort with the Coachella art team, consisting of over 30 people. I worked closely with them throughout the process, investing many thousands of hours to achieve the intricate detailing required for the artwork. The fabrication stage took months to complete.
What was the inspiration behind the creations for Coachella?
The artworks displayed at Coachella have multiple layers of story and inspiration, with some of the character backstories holding significant personal meaning to me. The centerpiece, “The Flying Ilo,” is actually named after my son, Kai-Ilo. The other two artworks are titled “Lotus One” and “Empress of the Garden.”
