In a country where queer lives have long existed in the margins unseen, silenced or systemically ignored, Varna emerges as a revolutionary act of resilience and pride. Organized by Youth Pride Organization, Sri Lanka’s only youth led, youth focused queer collective, Varna is a space of reclamation, expression and solidarity. At its heart is a simple but powerful message: Queer art is powerful, Queer lives are beautiful and Queer expression is unstoppable.
Held over three days at the Goethe-Institut in Colombo Varna, meaning colour in Sanskrit, is a vibrant celebration of queer creativity from across the island. Featuring paintings, photography, mixed media installations and performance, the exhibition does what few spaces in Sri Lanka have dared to do: offer queer artists a dignified platform to be seen, respected and economically supported.
Varna is the brainchild of Vishwa Pathum (he/they), a non-binary activist who founded the Youth Pride Organization in 2022. He comes from Anuradhapura and is in their early twenties. “When I started out, I saw that queer spaces were not youth-inclusive,” they explain. “Young people had no chance to lead. I wanted to change that.”
Driven by this vision, Vishwa and a group of volunteers launched the Youth Pride Organization (YPO) with zero funding but with a commitment to dignity and equality. In the three years since, YPO has conducted workshops on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV prevention, chemsex awareness and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) education, often in places where such conversations had never happened before.
“Our work isn’t just for urban, English speaking queer youth,” Vishwa clarifies. “We build networks from Jaffna to Anuradhapura, from Kandy to the upcountry. Our team includes trans women, trans men, lesbians and non-binary folks. Inclusion isn’t a checkbox – it’s who we are.”
On deciding to host an art exhibition, Vishwa says: “There are so many queer artists in Sri Lanka who are deeply talented but invisible. They’re excluded from galleries, markets and opportunities simply because of who they are.” Varna seeks to break this cycle of erasure.
Each artwork at Varna is not only a personal expression but also a political one speaking to themes of identity, oppression, joy and survival. “We didn’t want to just showcase art. We wanted to build a sustainable future for queer artists,” Vishwa explains. To that end, 70% of all proceeds from artwork sales go directly to the artists with the remaining 30% dedicated to a safe house fund – another urgent need within the community.
Currently Colombo lacks a dedicated safe house for queer youth facing housing insecurity, family rejection or mental health crises. “People come to the city for jobs, for community, for safety,” says Vishwa. “But when things go wrong, there’s nowhere for them to go.” The Varna exhibition doubles as a fundraiser to change that.
YPO’s motto – By Us, For Us – is more than just a catchphrase; it encapsulates a deep-rooted philosophy of empowerment and autonomy. “We don’t want to wait around for people to hand us change,” says Vishwa. “We are building it ourselves, with love, innovation and courage.”
Vishwa’s own story is a powerful example of this ethos. At just 17, they took their high school to the Human Rights Commission after being targeted and bullied for their identity. “I wasn’t going to be silent,” they say. This act transformed their school and influenced national level conversations about gender and sexuality in education. The Ministry of Education is now drafting guidelines to train teachers on queer inclusive practices, inspired in part by that very case.
This fearlessness extends into their public advocacy. Vishwa has represented Sri Lanka at global forums such as the UN Economic and Social Council’s Youth Forum and Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development and has led campaigns on queer voting rights and mental health. For their work, they have been awarded the Best Activist and Voice Raiser at the Rainbow Art Festival and shortlisted for Young Achiever of the Year at the 2024 HERO Awards.
Varna is just one of several initiatives led by YPO as part of Colombo Pride Month. On June 21. There will be an open discussion on queer representation in media in collaboration with Olga, a cultural organization that supports Varna. Vishwa and other activists will lead Generation Pride’s annual march, this year themed against police brutality, highlighting systemic abuse faced by queer individuals across Sri Lanka.
“This march is rooted in our collective history,” Vishwa explains. “We launched Generation Pride during the aragalaya. We wanted to show that queer people are not outsiders, we are citizens with rights and we are part of every struggle for justice in this country.”
The march will begin at Viharamahadevi Park and proceed to Galle Face Green, culminating in a public rally with performances and speeches. It is a bold reclamation of public space in a country where queer bodies are often told to shrink, hide or disappear.
Varna is as much about art as it is about visibility, economics, safety and hope. It is about rewriting the narrative of what queer life looks like in Sri Lanka – not just one of suffering or survival but one of brilliance, joy and resistance.
Vishwa adds, “I don’t want another queer kid to grow up with the trauma I faced. I want them to be seen, to be safe, to be celebrated.”
Varna: A Queer Art Exhibition is on until June 15 at Goethe-Institut, Colombo