Tea in the First Sense

Sarath Perera
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Sarath Perera

Only a handful of professional photographers in Sri Lanka have the same professionalism, commitment and dedication towards their art as Sarath Perera does. He has had over four decades to hone his skills, and is identified as a perfectionist in whatever he does, no matter the size of the assessment.

A specialist in commercial photography, Sarath Perera is well known in the advertising circles and has been working closely with some of Sri Lankas’ leading advertising agencies. Sarath is a visiting lecturer on photography at the Kelaniya University, Sri Lanka; his photographs are featured in many award winning campaigns and has received recognition and numerous accolades for the images he has captured during his work.

Operating from his studio in Rajagiriya, Sarath Perera takes pleasure in working with amateur photographers and utilises his time to share his wealth of knowledge on photography with them. He gets regularly invited to make presentations and deliver lectures, which he gladly accepts out of his love for photography and the need to share his insights with the future generations. On many occasions, he has been invited as a jurist for national and international photographic competitions.

Many Sri Lankans, known and unknown, have had their portraits taken by Sarath Perera and include personalities from presidents to prime ministers.

His skills as a photographer has been captured and appreciated in several coffee table books, and includes the highly commended ‘The Great Revival’ published by the Buddhist Publication Society. ‘From the cradle: glimpses of Sri Lankan folk culture portrayed at the Martin Wickramasinghe Museum of Folk Culture, ‘A Fresh Dawn’ — Sri Lanka’s rich Buddhist Heritage, and ‘The Golden Touch’, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Central Finance PLC are some of the publications that have been enhanced by his photography. Sarath Perera has also, on several occasions, contributed towards the Serendib, the official magazine of Sri Lankan airlines.

Sarath Perera is an Associate of the National Photographic Art Society (ANPAS), an Honorary Fellow of the National Photographic Art Society (FNPAS), the Photographic Art Society (FPAS) and the Institute of Sri Lankan Photographers (FISLP).

Tea in the First Sense

Dilmah tea, the symbol of Pure Ceylon Tea in over 100 countries around the world, unveils Tea in the First Sense, an innovative endeavour by the family tea company Dilmah, in their mission to bring the beauty of tea, nature’s finest beverage, to the world.

Tea in the First Sense is an art and photography exhibition featuring tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The exhibition, commissioned by Dilmah, will tour the world as part of a Dilmah mission to share with a global audience the aesthetic beauty of tea.

This project has a deeper significance for it is part of a Dilmah effort to highlight the inequity in the tea category. A brand known for its integrity, Dilmah sought to overturn a system in which the producer became an exploited raw material supplier. In 1988 Founder of Dilmah Merrill J Fernando launched his Dilmah brand, in Australia, subsequently reaching over 100 countries in the world. Dilmah is today recognised as a role model in ethical trade.

The Company strives to bring quality back to tea and in so doing to improve the fortunes of Ceylon’s historic tea industry and its workers. Engaged in extensive social welfare via the MJF Charitable Foundation (www.mjffoundation.org). Dilmah is convinced that by making consumers appreciate Ceylon and her teas, demand for quality Ceylon Tea can be increased, helping tea producers get a better price for their crop. Ultimately that is fairer than any notion of fair-trade and is the most tangible way of bringing a smile to the faces of workers in the industry and their families. Dilmah is also working towards a more sustainable use of the environment through Dilmah Conservation which is promoting biodiversity, species/habitat protection & awareness of sustainability by encouraging a harmonious co-existence of man and nature (www.dilmahconservation.org).

Tea in the First Sense is part of a project to highlight the heritage of Ceylon Tea and educate consumers on the health and other benefits in quality Ceylon Tea. The first stage of this project was the History of Ceylon Tea website which preserves in one of the world’s largest internet tea websites, a century of literature on Ceylon Tea. Tea in the First Sense captures through both brush and lens, the endearing character and charm of the Sri Lankan Tea plantations.