All posts filed under: ART

Explore artists and their art

RootsandLeisure_GoutamRajThoudam

Meet This Talented 18 Year Old Freestyle Photographer from Manipur | Goutam Raj Thoudam

Published by Shweta Rao

  By capturing tiny specks of time and space and holding them still within his frame, a great photographer helps us explore the totality of our world, such that we never see it in the same way again. Thanks to picture-heavy sites like Instagram, today photography has become a global racket of freeze-frames. Millions of pictures are created every second and everyone enjoys being a subject. One cannot help but wonder, how, in this quasi-egalitarian world of millions of images, do today’s photographers continue to stand out. Hobbyist photographer Goutam Raj doesn’t find it difficult at all! Say hi to 18 year old freestyle photographer, Goutam Raj Thoudam from Imphal, Manipur. Currently a student in 12th standard, this kid is passionate about photography and has already gathered admirers from across the borders. How did photography turn into a serious hobby for you? I got interested in photography about four years ago. My dad bought a Canon 60D camera for his use. The camera sparked an interest in me and I couldn’t resist trying my hands at it. …

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How To Look Fashionable While Attending a Wedding in Nagaland.

Published by Imliren Jamir

Wondering what to wear to your Naga friend’s wedding? Fret not, because we got you covered! For starters, the dress code in a Naga wedding is usually western formals, with a high dose of fashion. Join us as we give you a sense of the stylish, yet understated fashion with photos from actual Naga weddings. [Also, most weddings in Nagaland happen during winter, so you might want to take notes on how to look fab in a dress while keeping yourself warm.] Ashom Wangnao (left) wears a black fitted dress with a gray fur coat, and Tinali Sumi (right) pairs her gorgeous green dress with a long gray coat. Going by their pink lips, it looks like the experts recommend a bright pink lipstick to brighten up your ‘dressy-yet warm’ look. Also, golden and black stilettos will never disappoint.  Need to pick up a bridesmaid’s attire for your best friend’s wedding? Lusano (2nd from left) dressed her petite frame in a long fitted gown in pale brown color, with golden details. She finishes her look with dark berry lips and …

RootsandLeisure_ArtistLiChing

Chat with Li Ching – Artist & Illustrator from Singapore Who Ignited her Artistic Flame Later in Life at 42, Proving It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Passion

Published by Pooja Ghose

It can be challenging to manage a hobby alongside our regular job. Lost in our hectic 9-5 lives, we often find ourselves struggling to make time for personal passions. Yet, there are those among us who skillfully create a new realm through their hobbies, offering respite from the urgency that surrounds us.  One such inspiring individual is Artist & Illustrator Li Ching from Singapore. We were absolutely mesmerized by her art so we approached her for an interview. As we started delving into her background, we were even more inspired by her story about how her life meandered into the dream life she had always wanted at 42!  Having graduated from the National University of Singapore, she spent a good amount of her career as an HR professional. Then she moved to Thailand to teach Geology and Chemistry to International students. It was during this period that Li Ching acquired a newfound love for teaching – and reconnected with the art world, eventually giving her the much-needed opportunity to dive fully into the world of …

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An Interview with Baker and Owner at Bakeforyou, Nagaland | Abigail Sitlhou

Published by Pooja Ghose

Have you ever gone on the adventure of going off book while following a baking recipe, and immediately regretting it? You know the results are almost always disastrous. Because the chemistry of baking doesn’t lend itself as naturally to experimentation as cooking does. So, when the professional bakers out there pick out one beautifully risen cake after another from an oven, know that those hands have seen many failures. Here’s a story of one such magic maker. Meet Abigail Sitlhou, 25, Owner & Baker of Bakeforyou – a home-based bakery in Kohima, Nagaland. Tell us a bit about yourself. I am a witty & fun loving person, who can laugh at the silliest of stuff when I’m around my kind of people. My hobbies are crafting and gardening. I am now a full-time baker and very satisfied with the profession I have chosen for myself. I am lucky that I have very supportive parents. When did you first start baking? I had always been fascinated with the art of cooking & baking . In the …

Meet the Artist Who Turns People Into Ridiculously Cute Doodles | Awele Kapfo from Nagaland

Published by Shweta Rao

Everybody loves doodling. There’s just something about an idle moment and a blank page that sparks ideas on our minds. When words fail to convey an idea, an ingenious doodle can blaze through our cognitive minds and set the world alight. Our featured artist for the week, creative doodle illustrator, and watercolor artist Awele Kapfo brings beautiful artwork to life. Let’s get to know her! Awele, 21 is a final year Economics student from Nagaland, whose cute and quirky illustrations are creating quite a buzz on social media. Your doodles look pretty awesome! How did you get started? My love for doodles began when I discovered an app called ‘Doodlr’ on Google Play. The app resembled Instagram – but for artists. Unfortunately, the developers could not keep up with the expenses of the server and it closed down this February.  That’s when I decided to (finally) join Instagram, and start putting up my watercolor illustrations resembling the doodles I used to make on ‘Doodlr’. I had started experimenting with watercolors after I saw the posts by a German water colorist …

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Sustainable Fashion is the New Cool | Meet the Indo-French Duo Behind ‘Indigenous Industries’

Published by Pooja Ghose

Fast fashion fatigue is the new buzzword; and so is global warming as the apparel industry has an alarmingly high carbon footprint. And that’s why, more people are getting into responsible and sustainable practices of manufacturing textiles. Today we have one such company called ‘Indigenous Industries’, co-founded by an Indo-French duo. Here is an excerpt from a brief chat with co-founder Vincent Decléty. Vincent Decléty, a French expat joined hands with Aadil Ansari from Ahmedabad to start ‘Indigenous Industries’ with the aim to promote natural dyers and textile craftsmen – and in the process make sustainable garment manufacturing a reality. Vincent inspecting the freshly dyed Khadi fabrics | Indigenous Industries Vincent, tell us what Indigenous Industries is all about? My business partner Aadil, from Ahmedabad and I (from France) have been designing textile, manufacturing it, dyeing it, and either selling the end fabrics, or manufacturing garments for other brands or our own Indigenous Industries. We pride ourselves on the quality of our dyes and the originality of our fabrics. Today, we manufacture for brands from India as well as from …

RootsandLeisure_NagaFashion

Traditional Naga Accessories Making a Fashionable Comeback

Published by Lungzeu

Mixing the old with the new is always refreshing ; today a lot of people are creating some pretty unique and stylish looks by accessorizing their outfits with traditional handmade jewelry. They look pretty spot on, as though they were meant to be all along. Here’s a curated list of how these fashionable folks are taking mix-and-match to a whole new level – by adorning modern ensembles with ethnic jewelry.  You can also buy some Naga traditional jewelry in modern designs on our Shop [link] Awomi from Sumi Naga tribe dressed her black turtleneck top with traditional Naga earrings and a necklace in fiery red (Red is a dominant color in most Naga ensembles, accessories & gears.) Members of the ‘Tetso Sisters’ (talented musicians from Nagaland), are seen playing up their looks with tasseled earrings in green and white. Traditional earrings are generally crafted in red color, so these new colors add a twist to the original jewelry form itself. Jorlim playing match-up by blending her lavender colored earrings with her pale blue dress, and a pink lacy stole. The little girl is looking …

RootsandLeisure_DinaHazarika

Artist Who Etches Memories on Canvas and Plates | Dina Hazarika Chowdhury

Published by Pooja Ghose

Have you ever felt envious of individuals who can capture stunning moments and sights in a tangible way, allowing them to preserve and share them with others? We certainly have. That’s why we love to showcase the work of talented artists like Dina Hazarika Chowdhury, a fine artist from Assam who creates beautiful paintings on canvas and ceramic plates. Dina hails from the cultural hub of Assam, Tezpur. She grew up in a small family but was deeply influenced by the traditions of a large, extended family. Dina fondly recalls attending family gatherings at her father’s ancestral home in Sibsagar. Currently, she resides in Gurgaon after marrying two years ago. Dina Hazarika Chowdhury specializes in taking nostalgic memory snapshots of cities and rural landscapes and transforming them into beautiful artwork. Tell us how you arrived at this point – as an artist who is happily running her own venture from home. Well, I explored many (career) paths before settling on this one – into the world of fine art. At one point, I wanted to …

Preciousmelove | Shipping Out Unique Fashion Items Made in Nagaland

Published by Lungzeu

Preciousmelove is an all girls team from Nagaland running a clothing and accessories business including dolls and vintage clothes. The team is led by Zuboni Humtsoe, a young dynamic entrepreneur and is supported by Humtsoe’s elder sister, Lozano Humtsoe. Zuboni is also the recipient of the prestigious ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016’ owing to the success of PML and its role in empowering women involved with the project. The team at R&L sat down to interview the talented sister duo to know more about Preciousmelove’s work. About the founders: Zuboni, a political science graduate from Kalindi College, DU, is the proprietor of Preciousmelove, with a brief work experience at Convergys India which helped her understand the nuances of customer service. A dreamer like no other, she hustles and handles various facets of business from marketing, management, creative direction, content writing, designing, photography to public relations. Zuboni says she has taken inspiration from entrepreneurs like Walt Disney, Mark Zuckerberg and Ratan Tata. On the other hand, Lozano worked as part of the cabin crew in Kingfisher Airlines for …

RootsandLeisure_Mangka

Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – An Inspirational Manipuri Folk Performer.

Published by Shweta Rao

Indian classical music has reached international fame and recognized at a global level. But, the Indian folk culture, talking of the existing in predominantly rural communities today, does not enjoy the same celebratory status. Partly, because tribal and folk music is not taught in disciplinary formats similar to Indian classical music. Fortunately, that’s changing today, as Indian youths are picking up folk music to express themselves on various platforms and sustaining their roots and culture for the ages to come. Today at R&L, we showcase an important folk performer, Mangka, who’s a musical revolution that state youth forums are rejoicing over. She has put Manipuri folk singing on the international map and is the voice that has popularized Manipuri folk song form, Pena. Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – Folk Song Artist and Performer at the Laihui Ensemble from Imphal, Manipur. Mangka acquired the knowledge of folk music from her father, Mangangsana, a renowned Pena artist and recipient of Ustad Bismilah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2008. Mangka started learning Moirang Sai and Basok (a rare traditional female performing …