JAT Holdings announces initiative to rejuvenate temple art

JAT Holdings has created a unique initiative to breathe new life into discarded temple flowers.

Beginning April 2018, JAT Holdings will begin production of Petal Paint - paints made from the pigment of discarded temple flowers, to be used in the restoration of sacred temple murals.

Petal Paint is an initiative that pays homage to Sri Lanka’s rich heritage of temple art, often found in the form of captivating wall murals in temple shrine rooms.

The Petal Paint concept is being turned into reality by the R&D team at JAT Holdings, who will extract the vibrant, natural colors from the dry flowers and turn them into unique paints. Initially Petal Paint will be created in the three most widely used colors in temple art – red, blue and yellow. Lotus Red, Pigeonwing Blue and Trumpet Yellow paints will thereafter be used in projects to restore and breathe new life into fading temple murals.

“The ancient art of extracting color from a natural source like a flower is now being coupled with modern pigment extraction technology to create a one-of-akind paint,” says JAT Holdings Marketing Head Richard Gunawardene. “The combined efforts of ancient knowledge and modern technology will come together to create Petal Paint, which will be used to restore one of the most beautiful art inheritances of the Sri Lankan people - the temple murals found across our country.”

The process of the Petal Paint extraction is done with maximum efficiency levels using modern hi-tech equipment. The flower offerings will be collected from various temples across Colombo, Sri Lanka and taken through a drying process, after which their natural pigments will be extracted to create Petal Paint.