About this experience
Mask-carving is one of Sri Lanka's oldest living craft traditions, and this private two-hour workshop inside an arts and crafts shop within Galle Fort puts the tools directly in your hands. Under the guidance of a local craftsman, you shape your own mask from Kaduru — a soft, light wood prized by generations of Sri Lankan carvers for the fine detail it holds — and leave with the finished piece as a tangible record of what you made.
The session opens with an introduction to the three main categories of Sri Lankan mask: Kolam masks, carved for folk theatre and satire, whose exaggerated bulging eyes and distorted features are deliberate — each one a commentary on a character type; Raksha masks, carried in processions to ward off evil spirits, with the Naga, Gurulu and Maru Raksha among the most commonly made forms; and Sanni masks, associated with ritual ceremonies, each one representing a different demon figure. Understanding why a mask looks the way it does makes the carving that follows feel less like craft and more like a conversation with a very long tradition.
The carving itself takes place at a solid timber workbench, the wood block secured in a bench vice while you work with mallets and chisels of varying sizes — the same tools visible in the hands of craftsmen who have spent decades at this trade. Kaduru is sourced from trees that grow in marshy lowland areas, and the wood is dried before carving begins to reduce the risk of cracking. Once the form is carved, paint is applied by brush using coloured pigments, bringing the mask's character to life much as the finished pieces on the studio walls demonstrate.
The workshop is set inside Galle Fort, the old walled town on Sri Lanka's south-western coast that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. The fort's lanes and ramparts are within easy reach before or after your session, making the experience a natural fit within a day spent in Galle. Hotel pickup from anywhere in the Galle area is available, and the workshop is open to participants aged five and upwards, so families can carve together.
Your host guides the carving throughout, so no prior experience with woodworking is needed. A one-litre water bottle per person is provided. Entrance tickets, gratuities, and food and drinks are not included in the booking.
