Ulpotha
a village in Sri Lanka
‘Ulpotha is a traditional working village in Sri Lanka cradled on the one side by low mountains and a lotus-ringed lake and on the other by tiny emerald green paddy fields. The focus is on the restoration of an ageless agricultural way of life and creating an idyllic environment for Yoga and Ayurveda retreats. This includes bio-diverse organic farming and reforestation of the land and its immediate surroundings.’
The money earn form people visiting Ulpotha are invested back to the village to preserve what’s there.
I was commissioned by the two founders of Ulpotha Village, Viren Perera and Giles Scott, to do the branding and the website for this unique place.
Sacred Bo
The Bodhi Tree also known as Bo was a large and very old sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher later known as Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenmen. A spring of that same tree was brought to Sri Lanka in the year 288 B.C.
The Bo tree is recognisable by its heart-shaped leaves and was the inspiration for the Ulpotha logo, symbolising the magic and peaceful energy the village encapsulate.
I was also privileged to be commissioned to design Ulpotha – A Kitchen in Paradise, a recipe and photographic book celebrating the small traditional village nestled in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.
Carina Cooper (Author of Notting Hill cook book, and After work cook book) has taken the recipes and interpreted them to be cooked in the west whilst taking the reader on a lyrical tour of this magical kingdom.
Ingrid Rasmussen (photographer of ‘New London Style’ and ‘Ibiza Style’) has brought her refreshing eye to photograph the delicious food whilst also capturing the villagers at ‘leisure, pleasure and rest’ which is the credo for Ulpotha.
Project Brand identity. Web design. Book design.
Client Viren Perera & Giles Scott – East Pole Foundation Ltd
Creative Direction & Design Therese Severinsen – Studio Mnemonic
Author of Ulpotha book Carina Cooper
Photography in Ulpotha book Ingrid Rasmussen