Dilusha has been working as the L6 (Final Year) coordinator of the BA (Hons) Textile Design Degree Programme, liaising with students, lecturers, technicians and the school administration team to plan, structure and deliver the final year curriculum of the Degree Programme. Moreover, Dilusha is providing module leadership and teaching for the following L6 (Final Year) Textile Design modules
- Semester 1: Textile Design Major Project (Undergraduate Dissertation module, 40 Credits)
This module requires students to undertake a comprehensive and independent study on a topic of their choice within the field of art, design or material culture. By selecting and applying appropriate research methods, underpinned by relevant debates, theories and practice, students need to develop a response through a written, illustrated dissertation following academic conventions.
- Semester 2: Professional Project (Final Major Project module, 40 Credits)
This module enables students to clarify, progress and resolve a personal focus/project brief of study as a culmination of the knowledge, understanding and career aspirations in relation to textile design contexts. Students conduct an independent creative investigation by executing appropriate research and practical design processes in order to fully realise the project brief.
- Semester 2: Next Step module (20 Credits)
This module requires students to undertake a reflective, evaluative body of research in order to define what their next step is. The module prepares students to effectively progress into the industry (or relevant career sector) and offers support to build a digital presence by developing personal promotional material and targeted creative digital portfolio content.
Dilusha’s research enabled the development of fully flexible, drapable smart textile surfaces with the ability to repeatedly change their surface expression through non-emissive colour and pattern-changing effects. He is further exploiting this research territory as for the following core avenues:
- Examining the aesthetics and functional performance of expression-changing printed textile design.
- Development of an eco-friendly print process to transfer static/dynamic colour and pattern effects onto clothing.
In addition, Dilusha is also engaged with a body of research that aims to investigate and document the cultural, heritage and sacred colour practices of the South Asian Region.
Dilusha is co-supervising the following Doctoral Research Projects.
- Project title: Modular Design for the Mass Customization of Fashion Garments (2019 - 2023)
- Project title: Reviving Traditional Chinese Dyeing Techniques for Use in Functional Sustainable Apparel (2020 – 2024)
External Doctoral Supervision:
- Project title: Colour matters: Reconsidering plant-based textile colourants (2022 - 2026)
Collaborating Institution: Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, India
- Project title: Reshaping the craftsmanship: Diversification of handloom textiles through the construction of stimuli-responsive surfaces (2022 - 2026)
Collaborating Institution: University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Dilusha is interested in supervising Doctoral research in the areas of;
- Development of novel design strategies, practices and methods for the progression of the fashion and textile design industry
- Digital Fashion, Textile Design and related technologies
- Craft, Culture and Design practices
Peer-Reviewed Papers & Book Chapter Contributions:
RAJAPAKSE, D., (n.d.). A design approach for developing active colour textiles. In: C. CHECINSKA, B.PARMAR, R. RAISANEN and N. STYLIANOU, eds. 2023. Bloomsbury Encyclopaedia of World Textiles, Vol. 4 Colour. Bloomsbury – (Accepted / Forthcoming)
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2022. An investigation of the aesthetics and technologies of photochromic textiles. In: E.KARANA, V. ROGNOLI, and O. PEDGLEY, eds. 2022. Materials Experience 2: Expanding Territories of Materials and Design. Butterworth-Heinemann. Chapter 7, Case 3. ISBN:9780128192443.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2019. An Investigation of the Activation of Multi-Colour Changing Photochromic Textiles. Journal of Textiles and Engineer, 26(114), pp.196–208.
RAJAPAKSE, D., BRIGGS-GOODE, A. and DIAS, T., 2015. Electronically controllable colour-changing textile design. In: V. POPOVIC, A. BLACKLER, L. DING-BANG, N. NIMKULRAT,, B. KRAAL and Y. NAGAI, eds., IASDR Interplay 2015 Proceedings. Brisbane, Australia, 2 - 5 November 2015. IASDR (The International Association of Societies of Design Research), pp. 1743-1759. ISBN 9780646943183.
RAJAPAKSE, D., BRIGGS-GOODE, A. and DIAS, T., 2014. Development of a design-centred approach for smart colour-changeable textile design. In: Transition: Re-thinking textiles and surfaces conference proceedings. The University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom, 26 - 27 November 2014. ISBN: 978-1-86218-127-4.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2014. An investigation of the aesthetics and technologies of colour-changeable textile design. In: Making an impact with research, Proceedings of 7th Annual Manchester Metropolitan University Postgraduate Research Conference. Manchester Metropolitan University, Business School, Manchester, United Kingdom, 4 November 2014. ISBN 978-1-910029-07-7.
Peer-reviewed presentations, exhibitions and workshops:
RAJAPAKSE, D. and CURAM,M., 2023. Colour of the Indian Ocean: An exploration into sacred colouration practices in Buddhist and Hindu monasteries. In: Asian Studies Conference Japan 2023. Sophia University, Japan, 01 - 02 July 2023.
RAJAPAKSE, D. and ALIMEN, A., 2022. Blended teaching and learning: An investigation of student and staff experiences of a co-taught module. In: Teaching and Learning Conference 2022: Teaching in the spotlight: Where next for enhancing student success? Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 05 - 07 July 2022.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2018. Beyond pattern and chaos: Multicolour and pattern changing Textiles (Exhibition). In: Pattern & Chaos research symposium 2018. Norwich University of the Arts, United Kingdom, 05 September 2018.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2018. Identification of a screen print approach for the application of multicolour and pattern-changing photochromic effects (Poster). In: The 91st Textile Institute World Conference 2018. University of Leeds, UK. 23 – 26 July 2018.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2015. Design methodology for colour change prints. In: Arcintex research symposium 2015. Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, 26 February 2015.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2015. Aesthetics codes and colour change prints (Workshop). In: Arcintex research symposium 2015. Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, 23 - 25 February 2015.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2013. Now you see it; Now you don’t. In: FTC (Association of Fashion and Textile Courses) symposium 2015. Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, 02 May 2013.
RAJAPAKSE, D., 2010. Plastic Sun: MA Digital Fashion Collection (Exhibition). In: Masters 10’. London College of Fashion, UAL, United Kingdom, 2010.
Before joining academia, Dilusha worked in the Sri Lankan Apparel Industry as a Technical Designer (Swimwear) and engaged in designing, product development and manufacturing processes for a number of international brands, including Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein, Speedo and Michael Kors.
