Interior designer Indira Kithsiri has built a distinctive contemporary art collection that reflects her unique bicultural background, growing up between the Swiss Alps and the tropical beaches of Sri Lanka. Born to a Sri Lankan father and Swiss mother in the Alpine village of Verbier, Kithsiri splits her time between Switzerland and Colombo, collecting works that she describes as contemporary pieces that are often dark yet charged with emotion and meaning.
Kithsiri's art collecting journey began in 2017 when she purchased "Eve" by Sri Lankan artist Priyantha Udagedara, a painting that depicts moth-like silhouettes swarming over a pregnant woman. The artwork, which she brought from Sri Lanka to display in a chalet in Verbier, uses natural motifs as symbolic elements and combines harshness with underlying hope. This piece served as a personal revelation and established the foundation for her collecting philosophy, which she seamlessly integrates into her work as an interior designer.
As the founder of Mountain Heritage, Kithsiri specializes in transforming heritage properties, particularly barn houses in Verbier's old village where panoramic Alpine views provide stunning backdrops. Her design practice focuses on creating homes that harmonize tradition with modernity, and she ensures that art plays a central role in every project. The buildings she designs are vibrant and cozy spaces where contemporary artworks create striking contrasts with traditional Alpine architecture.
Kithsiri's dual heritage profoundly influences her aesthetic sensibility and collecting choices. Gabled roofs of Swiss chalets may frame abstract portraits by Brussels-born, Colombo-based artist Fabienne Francotte, while monochromatic bird paintings by artist Firi Rahman bring elements of her Sri Lankan connection into Alpine settings. "From Switzerland, I have absorbed precision, structure, and an appreciation for craftsmanship," she explained. "From Sri Lanka, I have inherited resilience, sensitivity to history, and a love of vibrant expression."
Although she was exposed to art primarily through travel during her childhood, Kithsiri became the first in her family to actively collect artwork. "I was fascinated by colors, textures, and the way light could transform a room," she recalled of her formative years. "It wasn't a single moment but a natural awakening shaped by my interests and creative mindset." Her collection now includes works by notable artists such as Chamila Gamage, Mayantha Perera, and Firi Rahman.
Kithsiri was particularly drawn to Sri Lanka's contemporary art scene after becoming fascinated by how artists were responding to the country's complex history. "Their resilience and raw expression inspired me to begin collecting, not simply to own works, but to preserve and celebrate voices I felt needed to be heard," she said. Her collection features works by Arjuna Gunarathne, who explores themes of belonging, loneliness, and the immigrant experience, and Malki Jayakody, whose art challenges colonial perspectives of Sri Lanka.
One of Kithsiri's most treasured pieces comes from Arulraj Ulaganathan's Pullakambura series. Ulaganathan, an artist from the Malaiyaga Tamil tea plantation worker community, creates powerful works using pen, pencil, acrylic, and tea stains to explore the profound struggles his family and community endured. Drawing from his childhood in Haputale, Sri Lanka, the artist uses recurring motifs of woven baskets carried by tea pluckers, sometimes showing infants cradled within them to contrast maternal comfort with the harsh realities of plantation life.
Kithsiri's most recent acquisition, "Red Saree" (2025), an oil painting by young Sri Lankan artist Mayantha Perera, continues themes of confrontation while expanding the narrative scope. "Supporting emerging voices like Perera excites me, as it not only reflects the evolving story of Sri Lankan contemporary art but also brings fresh energy and perspective to my collection," she noted. Her commitment to Sri Lanka extends beyond collecting through her non-profit organization, SAHANA Sri Lanka, which works to improve living conditions and educational opportunities for underprivileged youth and women.
Among the most striking pieces in her collection is "It Did (Not) Happen" (2021) by Belgian artist Fabienne Francotte, acquired through Saskia Fernando Gallery in Colombo and displayed in her dining room. The work features a confronting stare emerging from a white wall, with wild strokes of black hair and red lips. "Her portraits blend realistic detail with expressive brushwork, and the eyes in particular convey emotions that words cannot capture," Kithsiri observed.
Kithsiri's collecting philosophy prioritizes emotional impact and authenticity over market trends or safe choices. "I am less interested in what is fashionable or safe and more drawn to works that feel honest, even when they are unsettling," she told art publications about her approach. She determines whether to acquire a piece based on its lasting impression: "I know I am meant to live with it when that impression doesn't fade, when, even after leaving the gallery or studio, the work stays with me, echoing in my thoughts as if asking to join my journey."
For Kithsiri, collecting art transcends mere accumulation of objects, representing instead a commitment to nurturing stories and amplifying artistic voices. Her collection serves as a bridge between her two cultural homes, bringing together Swiss precision and Sri Lankan expressiveness while supporting both established and emerging artists who explore themes of identity, resilience, and cultural memory.
