I’m Sanjaya Lakmal, an Independent Creative Director working across brand, fashion, spatial design, and immersive experiences. I develop concept-led creative systems where culture, storytelling, and execution meet — shaping ideas that are not only imagined, but built.
Nikil Nirvana is my creative identity and the name under which this body of work exists.
I work professionally as Sanjaya Lakmal, an independent Creative Director. The name serves as a conceptual signature rather than a separation of roles.
I work professionally as Sanjaya Lakmal, an independent Creative Director. The name serves as a conceptual signature rather than a separation of roles.
My creative foundation was formed early through mythology, literature, and visual storytelling. Growing up in Kandy, Sri Lanka, stories from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Buddhist philosophy influenced how I think about symbolism, identity, and form — influences that continue to surface in my work today.
Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across fashion, retail, exhibitions, and large-scale entertainment environments. My experience spans visual merchandising, brand systems, spatial planning, and experiential design — from independent concepts to global destinations, where creative vision must operate at scale.
Today, I work independently, partnering with brands, founders, and institutions to create clear creative direction, cohesive brand worlds, and meaningful experiences. My approach balances imagination with structure, intuition with discipline, and creativity with responsibility.
I believe strong creative work is defined by intention rather than excess —
by clarity rather than noise —
and by ideas designed to endure.