The mastermind behind the uniquely named “Shall We Cactus”, is the enterprising and enthusiastic entrepreneur, Joby Davies, a Britisher who has been resident in Colombo, Sri Lanka for the past 13 years. Speaking to Newsasia.lk, he explained that what is distinctive about Shall We Cactus is that it aims to promote the local art community with a highly visible platform for aspiring new Sri Lankan artists and designers, while generating a passive income for them. Currently ten artists are involved with the “Shall We Cactus” collaborative from around the island.
Joby noted that as a long term resident in Sri Lanka, and having worked on numerous projects islandwide, he was deeply impressed by the abundance of talent amongst the local artists, but noticed that they did not have a platform in which to showcase their work. Hence the idea to set up “Shall We Cactus” came into being in December 2022, and artists who join his art collaborative are paid royalties on the sale of their creations.
When Newsasia.lk inquired about the origin of the rather peculiar name for his business: “Shall We Cactus”, Joby explained: ”Well,“Shall We Cactus” is a phrase that my friends here in Sri Lanka and I coined a few years ago. We say it when we want to do something different, something more fun, or out of the ordinary. When I came up with the concept of the art collective to support local and upcoming artists and designers, it made sense to name it after that phrase!”
Joby reflects on his years in Sri Lanka, explaining that he was working in the facilities field in the UK when he was invited by his business partners to help manage several investment properties in Sri Lanka in 2010, finally settling in Sri Lanka in 2011. When asked about his views on living in Sri Lanka, Joby told Newsasia.lk: “The most predictable thing about Sri Lanka is its unpredictability, but for me, living in Sri Lanka is an adventure and I absolutely love the Sri Lankan rice and curry!”
During the recently concluded Galle Literary Festival 2024, held from the 25th to 28th of January, Joby Davies decided to set up a creatively decorated stall to showcase the visually appealing artwork of the talented local artists that he is currently working with, at the Galle Literary Festival Market. The display included a range of colourful vintage art postcards and posters. The fascinating designs which depict many of Sri Lanka’s famous landmarks and tourist attractions such as the Galle Fort, Ella and the train journey, Yala, Adam’s Peak, Hikkaduwa, the Royal Botanical Gardens, local surfing destinations and even Sri Lanka’s famous 1996 World Cup Cricket victory, are art collectors items and extremely popular with tourists and art lovers alike.
Joby hopes to expand “ Shall We Cactus” globally, while promoting heritage art from Sri Lanka amongst the tourists and in particular, to Indian art collectors. He says ”I feel art is for everyone and Sri Lanka is fast becoming a hot spot for Indian art collectors“. We hope to curate an exhibition in the future .
While www.shallwecactus.com is a Collective, we also offer white label art management, logistics services, and even payment gateways for artists and art estates that want their own named website. As such, we are currently working with the Laki Senanayake estate on Laki.lk.
“Shall We Cactus” is Sri Lanka’s poster art company, championing homegrown talent. Shall We Cactus brings together the best in local talent to showcase beautiful designs in the form of travel art, catered towards the local and tourist markets.
