Udayshanth Fernando's 'Living Design' Monograph Chronicles a Life in Sri Lankan Design

Rizzoli International released 'Udayshanth Fernando. Living Design' in late May 2026, a comprehensive monograph on the Sri Lankan designer, collector, and founder of Paradise Road. Born in Colombo in 1949, Fernando has spent over four decades developing a design language that blends tradition, cultural memory, and local craftsmanship. The book, rich with images of his home and projects, includes contributions from Sean Anderson, Sonal Singh, and Bandana Tewari, and explores his philosophy of design as a cultural act. In an interview, Fernando discusses how his eclectic style contrasts ancient and modern, and how culture intuitively guides his aesthetic direction. He emphasizes working with layers of warmth and natural patina to create a sense of belonging. Paradise Road, his brand, has become an international design reference while maintaining strong Sri Lankan roots; Fernando attributes this to his personal, cosmopolitan intuition rather than following trends. The book's creation was a major challenge, as condensing fifty years of work into under 200 pages required trusting others to select representative pieces, focusing on his home and collection. His collection, which includes objects from the Dutch colonial period (1658–1796) and votive stipes, is continuously evolving, with compositions changing as he acquires new items. The publication was authored by Vittoria Caprotti and first appeared on Artribune.