About

Mount Studio

A space for creativity, connection and exploration

Mount Studio is an independent, artist-led creative space founded by multidisciplinary artist Lojithan Ram. Established in Mount Lavinia in 2021, the studio began as an extension of Lojithan's artistic practice and has gradually developed into a space bringing together art, photography, analogue film, research, learning and creative exchange.

Today, Mount Studio is based in Maharagama, where it operates as an evolving creative space with an art studio, analogue film lab, library and shop.

Mount Studio is built around the idea that creativity can grow through connection — between people, generations, disciplines, materials, histories and different ways of seeing. The studio welcomes artists, photographers, students, researchers, educators and anyone interested in exploring creative practices.

The studio is independently established and self-funded, allowing it to develop organically through its own programmes, services, collaborations and creative projects.

The Founder

Mount Studio was founded by Lojithan Ram, a multidisciplinary artist whose practice works across photography, archives, cyanotype, experimental image-making, installation and research.

His work explores themes including migration, displacement, memory, non-belonging and the ways personal and collective histories are preserved and transmitted through images and archives. His practice often brings together photographic histories, oral histories, archival materials and contemporary forms of image-making.

Lojithan was a recipient of the Prince Claus Seed Award 2023, recognising his artistic practice and its potential to contribute to wider cultural and creative exchange.

Mount Studio continues to grow alongside his artistic practice, creating a space where his own research and making can exist alongside opportunities for other people to learn, experiment, meet and develop their own creative practices.

The name and the logo

The name Mount Studio comes from the idea of mounting creativity together — bringing different ideas, experiences and creative practices together within one shared space.

The name also reflects the studio's beginnings in Mount Lavinia in 2021.

The Mount Studio logo is made from many small pieces of different sizes gathered together to form a circle. Each individual piece represents something different: a stage of creativity, an age, a perspective, a discipline or an experience.

Together, these pieces form something larger.

The logo reflects our belief that different forms of creativity do not need to exist separately. By bringing different people, disciplines and perspectives together, Mount Studio hopes to create a space that can contribute to shaping the future of creative practice.

The Structure of Mount Studio

Mount Studio brings together several connected areas of creative activity:

Art Studio · Analogue Film Lab · Library · Shop · Classes & Courses

Each has a different purpose, but together they form the wider ecosystem of Mount Studio.

Art Studio

The Art Studio is the foundation of Mount Studio and the working space of artist Lojithan Ram.

It is a place for developing artistic projects, conducting research, working with archives, experimenting with materials and producing new work.

The studio also becomes a space for exhibitions, workshops, classes, courses, discussions, screenings, gatherings and collaborations. Rather than functioning only as a private working studio, Mount Studio is gradually opening its environment to a wider creative community.

As the studio develops, we are interested in creating more opportunities for artists, photographers, researchers, students and other creative practitioners to engage with the space.

Analogue Film Lab

The Mount Studio Analogue Film Lab is a working film laboratory dedicated to supporting the continued practice of analogue photography in Sri Lanka.

We currently provide:

Black-and-white film developing
Colour film developing
High-resolution film scanning
Film digitisation services

Our digitisation services also extend to the preservation and digital conversion of photographic materials, allowing analogue images and photographic archives to be brought into a high-resolution digital format for personal preservation, research, artistic projects and documentation.

The lab currently works with 35mm and 120mm film.

Through the film lab, Mount Studio hopes to support both photographers who have been working with analogue photography for years and a new generation discovering film for the first time.

Our aim is not simply to preserve an older photographic process, but to bring analogue photography back into contemporary creative practice and support its future development in Sri Lanka.

Photo Gallery →
Selected photographs from the Analogue Film Lab and its activities.

Library

Mount Studio is developing a small library focused on art, photography, history, heritage, culture and related areas of creative research.

The collection is currently growing, and we are working towards establishing a more organised and accessible library within the studio.

We are also interested in receiving donations of used books in good condition, particularly books connected to art, photography, visual culture, history, heritage, culture and related subjects.

As the collection develops, we hope the library can become a useful resource for artists, students, researchers, educators and others interested in creative and cultural subjects.

Further information about the Mount Studio Library, including access and membership arrangements, will be announced alongside or following the launch of the Mount Studio Membership programme in January 2027.

Photo Gallery →
Selected photographs of the Mount Studio Library and its growing collection.

Mount Studio Shop

The Mount Studio Shop brings together a small selection of photographic and creative materials connected to the studio.

The shop currently includes photographic films, cameras, books and photographic prints.

Our camera selection includes disposable cameras and reusable plastic cameras, with plans to expand the range of analogue cameras and related photographic materials in the future.

The shop will continue to develop alongside the studio, with new products and materials introduced as they become available.

Photo Gallery →
Selected photographs from the Mount Studio Shop.

Classes & Courses

Learning through practice

Education has been part of Mount Studio since its beginning.

From 2021 to 2023, Mount Studio conducted art classes and courses for different age groups. The programme was later paused as the studio developed other areas of work and the demands of running the space and Lojithan's artistic practice increased.

We are now preparing to restart Mount Studio Classes & Courses as part of the next stage of the studio's development.

The new programme will provide more structured and sustained opportunities for children, students and adults to develop creative skills, explore artistic practices and build a deeper understanding of visual culture and image-making.

The planned classes and courses will include:

Art Classes

Art classes for children, students and adults, with programmes designed according to age and level of experience.

The classes will encourage observation, experimentation, drawing, making and individual creative development rather than focusing only on producing a particular finished outcome.

Photography Courses

Courses exploring photography as both a technical and creative practice.

Depending on the programme, photography courses may include camera practice, visual observation, photographic composition, image-making, analogue photography and approaches to developing an individual photographic practice.

Printmaking Courses

Courses introducing participants to printmaking processes and experimental approaches to making images through print.

Figurative & Anatomy Studies

Courses focused on understanding the human figure through observation and study, including drawing, proportion, structure, gesture and basic anatomical understanding.

The classes and courses will be developed as an ongoing part of Mount Studio's educational programme.

Further information about course structure, schedules, age groups, fees and registration will be announced as the programme is developed.

Photo Gallery →
Photographs from previous Mount Studio classes and courses, and future educational programmes.

Events at Mount Studio

Events are an important part of Mount Studio's programme.

Some take place within the studio itself, while others are developed through collaborations with galleries, organisations, artists and other partners in different locations.

Our programme includes Vintage Photo Studio Experiences, exhibitions, workshops and film screenings, as well as other creative and educational activities that develop through collaborations.

Vintage Photo Studio Experience

The Vintage Photo Studio Experience invites participants to step into a photographic environment inspired by earlier studio photography practices.

The experience brings together vintage photographic equipment, studio arrangements and the social experience of having a photograph made, creating an opportunity to encounter photography not only as an image but as a physical and participatory process.

Our first Vintage Photo Studio Experience took place at Barefoot Gallery in December 2025. We later brought the experience to Mount Studio in February 2026.

The project reflects our interest in connecting photographic history with contemporary audiences and creating opportunities to experience analogue photography in an engaging and accessible way.

Photo Gallery →
Photographs from the Vintage Photo Studio Experience.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions at Mount Studio provide opportunities to present artistic practices, photographic projects, archival research and collaborative work within an artist-led environment.

Our first exhibition, Analogue Future, was presented at Barefoot Gallery in December 2025. The exhibition explored the continuing relevance and possibilities of analogue photography within contemporary practice.

In August 2026, Mount Studio presented Thirumeni, continuing our programme of exhibitions and creative collaborations within the studio.

As Mount Studio develops, exhibitions will remain an important part of our programme, alongside opportunities to collaborate with artists and cultural organisations.

Photo Gallery →
Photographs from Mount Studio exhibitions.

Workshops

Mount Studio conducts workshops for adults, school students, university students and children, creating opportunities for people of different ages and backgrounds to learn through practical engagement and experimentation.

Our workshops have explored areas including:

Analogue film photography and film laboratory processes

Photography

Printing and experimental printmaking

Cyanotype and alternative image-making

Art and material-based experiments

Archiving and documentary practices

Creative thinking and critical approaches

Research and visual storytelling

Workshops take place both at Mount Studio and, through collaborations, at different locations.

One of the distinctive workshop practices associated with Mount Studio is cyanotype. We have conducted cyanotype workshops in different locations, but going forward, cyanotype workshops will be developed and hosted at Mount Studio, allowing participants to experience the process within our own creative environment.

Our workshops are designed to encourage curiosity, experimentation, hands-on learning and independent ways of thinking rather than simply teaching a fixed technique.

Photo Gallery →
Photographs from Mount Studio workshops and collaborative workshops.

Film Screenings

Mount Studio also hosts selected film screenings connected to art, photography, culture, history and human experience.

The screenings are intended to create opportunities to encounter films that carry a particular artistic, photographic or cultural significance, while providing a space for people to watch, reflect and engage in conversation.

Selected films will be presented at Mount Studio as part of our ongoing programme.

Recently, we screened "In Search of Nihal Fernando", a documentary film by Martin Peries, in collaboration with Studio Times

Details of upcoming screenings will be announced through the Mount Studio website and social media channels.

Photo Gallery →
Photographs from Mount Studio film screenings.

Mount Studio Membership

Coming in January 2027

Mount Studio is currently developing a membership programme, which is planned to launch in January 2027.

The membership is being developed as a way for people to become more closely connected with the studio and its activities.

It is intended for people interested in art, photography, sound, literature and other creative disciplines, as well as people connected to education and research — including school and university students, teachers, instructors, artists and researchers.

Membership will also be relevant to people looking for a small, creative environment where they can work, study, conduct research or exchange ideas.

What membership will offer

The membership programme is currently being developed, and the full structure, membership categories, fees, access arrangements and benefits will be announced closer to the launch.

The planned membership programme will include opportunities such as:

Access to Mount Studio
Members will be able to use the studio as a shared creative and working environment, subject to availability and the studio's guidelines.

Co-working and research
Members will be able to use the space for office work, study and research, with Wi-Fi access available.

Small-group activities
Members will be able to book the space for small-scale activities such as talks, discussions, film screenings, gatherings and other art- and culture-related events, subject to availability.

Library access
Members will be able to access the Mount Studio Library and spend time reading and researching within the space.

Discounts
Membership will include discounts on selected Mount Studio services and activities, including film laboratory services, workshops, events and purchases from the Mount Studio Shop.

The membership programme will continue to evolve as Mount Studio grows. Further information will be announced with the launch in January 2027.

Photo Gallery →
Selected photographs of Mount Studio as a shared creative and working space.

Looking Ahead

Mount Studio has grown from a personal artist's studio into a space that brings together art, analogue photography, archives, research, education, learning and creative exchange.

The studio remains independently established and self-funded, allowing its development to happen gradually and in response to the needs and possibilities of the creative community around it.

Based in Maharagama, Mount Studio is currently developing new collaborations with artists, photographers, educators, cultural organisations and other partners in Sri Lanka and beyond.

The revival of our Classes & Courses, the development of the Membership programme, the expansion of the Analogue Film Lab, the growth of the Library, and the continuation of exhibitions, workshops, screenings and other public programmes are all part of the studio's next stage.

Our long-term direction is to grow Mount Studio into an established artist-led cultural and creative institution — one that can support artistic practice, analogue photography, research, education, archives and public engagement while remaining open to experimentation and new ideas.

The studio is still growing, and many of its future possibilities are being developed now.

Mount Studio is a space in progress — built through creativity, collaboration and the people who become part of it.

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