Close Window

Lanu Pongen

"Hello, my name is Lanu Pongen and I was born on September 6, 1973 in a small village in Nagaland. I enjoyed a fun-filled childhood with lots of friends with whom to play. Nagaland is a charming place marked by beautiful hilltops and greenery all around. I remember, as a child, my friends and I often wandered in the jungle, looking for birds and sharing picnics. It was great fun.

"My affair with carving began when I was barely six or seven years old. I was in first standard then. We Nagas in general are very hardworking, especially those living in villages. We grow our own vegetables and rice, build our own houses and also make our own utensils. So from a very young age, I use to help my father and mother. Though I learned the art of crafting on my own, I think a lot of my talent comes from my father who was a skilled craftsman himself. He used to make aluminum utensils.

"I studied until the tenth standard but could not continue further due to financial problems. But by then I was an expert craftsman. I already had a huge collection of sculptures and panels that I had done over the years. I thought this was the field where I should be and started concentrating on my skill. Since childhood, I have been actively involved in cultural activities and I have been greatly inspired by the rich tradition of our state. With the passing of time, tradition has been dying out and I thought no idea would be better than sharing my heritage with the people of the world.

"Nagas are known as warriors – our forefathers used to be headhunters. They fought their enemies with their hand made weapons like spears, dao and arrows, and protected themselves with shields. Festivals were marked by dances, music, rice beer and feasts. Though the headhunting practice does not exist anymore, we definitely observe festivals with just as much gaiety by engaging in dances and feasts.

"After gaining much expertise in crafting, I start participating in exhibitions where I received good responses from friends and well wishers. I also began painting along with my sculpting. It was only after much hard work that I was invited to participate in exhibitions outside my state. During an exhibition in Nagaland, I had the opportunity to meet our state governor. The governor noticed my skill and invited me to participate in some large projects. One such project was decorating the Parliament House in the capital. That was a wonderful experience.

"Now I have participated in more than 15 exhibitions. I was awarded the National Merit certificate in 2003 in addition to two state awards in 2001 and 2002, one for painting and another for sculpting, respectively.

"I am very glad to be associated with Novica. This is the right platform to exhibit my work and at the same time let the world know about our unique culture and traditions."