Temsüyanger Longkumer
Temsüyanger Longkumer is an interdisciplinary artist from Nagaland. He works in a diverse range of media including sculpture, installation, printmaking and time-based art. His practice encompasses an array of topics, from serendipitously conceived ideas to an ever-evolving dynamics of contemporary politics and culture.
His work has been showcased at renowned institutions including the Museum der Kulturen in Basel, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, the India International Centre in New Delhi, the Horniman Museum in London, and has participated in major events such as the 80th Venice International Film Festival (2023), the 6th Singapore Biennale: Every Step in the Right Direction (2019) and the 4th Kochi-Muziris Biennale: Possibilities for a Non-Alienated Life (2018).
Temsüyanger Longkumer, 2024. Photo Courtesy: Anya Kashina.
Temsüyanger grew up in the remote north-eastern reaches of India in the small hilltop village of Lapa, belonging to the Konyak tribe of Nagaland.
As the child of missionaries from the Ao tribe, Temsüyanger's upbringing was a fusion of markedly contrasting cultures. Nagaland remains largely inaccessible to outsiders; bordering the Indian states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as neighbouring Myanmar, it is home to 17 major tribes and multiple sub-tribes. Each tribe is uniquely characterised with distinct customs, languages, and traditional attire.
The Ao’s were amongst the first of Nagaland’s tribes to embrace Western education and Christianity, thus paving a way for Temsüyanger’s parents to embark upon a missionary journey to the remote Konyak region.
Temsüyanger reminisces "We grew up in an environment where being bare-bodied in public was completely natural. Cars and televisions were non-existent." In such an environment, Temsüyanger, and his seven siblings, embraced the customs of the Konyak lifestyle alongside Ao tribal oral traditions, song and stories introduced by their Ao parents.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, Immigration I, 1996, Lithograph (Edition of 11), 45 x 31 cm. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Fields in Lapa, Nagaland. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
A Konyak House. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
A Village Shop. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Moatsü festival of the Ao Tribe, Nagaland. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Artistry was inherent to the rich culture of indigenous communities and Temsüyanger’s creative journey evolved organically, even before he encountered its formal definition as a means of expression. A profound connection to craftsmanship ran through his family, evidenced in his father’s innate artistic talent in his carpentry. Domestic objects, be it a cooking spoon or implement were quickly fashioned from a stalk of bamboo cut from nearby groves. "He was a talented artist, though he never identified as one" Temsüyanger recalls with fondness. "He carved all my toys from wood, meticulously shaping each piece," Temsüyanger explains. "He even crafted a small lorry and a guitar he saw during his travels to neighbouring states in the plains”.
Temsüyanger’s introduction to the ‘formal’ world of art was not straightforward. His childhood penchant for drawing, while in class, often landed him in trouble, fostering a belief that art had no place in conventional norms. He only learnt that art colleges even existed after he was enrolled in a mainstream college. That very same day, he decided to pursue art, leaving his hometown to enrol at a college far from his beloved Nagaland.
Temsüyanger faced challenges in bridging gaps in his knowledge of art. His dedication, and perseverance in catching up with peers, eventually paid off when he was awarded a prestigious scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in printmaking at London’s Royal College of Art.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, Moatsü, 1996, Lithograph (Edition of 9), 43 x 40 cm. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Following the completion of his MA, Temsüyanger returned to spend a year travelling to remote corners of the Nagaland region, absorbing sights, sounds and stories that would inform his work.
Notably, he began his Living Impressions series comprised of mixed media installations representing a diversity of Nagas from different generations living in unique circumstances. A blend of narrative storytelling, they preserve moments in traditional lives captured in sound, video and sculpture.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, Living Impressions, 2010 - ongoing, Mixed Media Installation, Varied Dimensions. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
The softly lit busts in one such installation demands our focus in the dimness of a gallery space. Gradually, a gentle glow moves across each one, illuminating each face’s features as they begin to tell a story in a dialect with which audiences are not familiar. Individual storytellers, projected onto their own casts, come to life as if resurrected before our eyes.
Temsüyanger's selection of individuals ranges from practitioners of traditional lifestyles to singers and craftsmen. Pohwang, the former chief of Hongphoi village, has a message to share, as does Pangshong, a hunter-gatherer from Longwa Village. Folk singers, Vetahülü Sapu and Thekulü Cürha, do it in verse.
Pangshong from Longhwa Village. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
His inspiration springs from witnessing profound changes within these tribes over a mere 15-year absence, which he attributes to the influence of mass media and globalisation encroaching upon ethnic territories.
His goal is to immortalise these fleeting moments and preserve them in a multi-sensory medium captured in their voices, forms and movements. Solely capturing auditory elements felt insufficient so a three-dimensional body of expression was composed, achieved by making body casts and projecting individuals’ video recordings onto them.
Temsüyanger opts not to translate the dialogue, leaving viewers unable to grasp their meaning. It is a poignant reminder of imminent threats to these dialects.
The disappearance of traditional cultures in the face of rapid technological and societal transformations remains a pressing concern for communities worldwide, and it serves as a central theme that Temsüyanger intends to explore further in his upcoming works within this series.
Folk singers Vetahülü Sapu and Thekulü Cürha. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Temsüyanger Longkumer casting Pohwang's bust. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, Tattooed Memory, 2014, Mixed Media Sculpture, 200cm x 130cm x 130cm. Photo Courtesy: Dani Tagen.
Temsüyanger’s casting projects have extended to his own body, as seen in Tattooed Memory, now permanently housed at the Horniman Museum’s World Gallery. Temsüyanger’s cast is adorned with revered emblems from his two inherited tribes - the Konyak tribe's facial tattoo and the Ao tribe’s Tsungkotepsü shawl are significant symbols reserved for esteemed individuals.
In Konyak tradition, facial tattoos were given only to warriors proving themselves in battles involving head hunting. It is a mark of the highest honour for a warrior. Likewise, the Tsungkotepsü shawl is a highly prized symbol in the Ao tribe. As a youth, Temsüyanger held deep admiration for the symbolic significance of these visuals and aspired to earn the right one day to embody them.
Embedded within Tattooed Memory lie elements of landscapes shaping Temsüyanger's childhood. Tree, river stones, flowing long eyelashes made from the artists hair resemble a stream, metaphors for the passing of time and preservation of memories.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, Tattooed Memory, 2014, Mixed Media Sculpture, 200cm x 130cm x 130cm. Photo Courtesy: Dani Tagen.
The placement of Tattooed Memory in a vitrine alongside other Naga artifacts in the Horniman Museum's permanent collection initiates a dialogue with its ancestors. It is noteworthy that museums in the U.K. house the largest collection of Naga artifacts outside of Nagaland.
The issue of repatriation has emerged as a critical topic of conversation about global museum ethics. Discussions in the UK concern the return of human remains taken in the 19th century from Nagaland.
Such steps toward repatriation are essential for promoting healing and reconciliation between museums and indigenous communities, acknowledging the harm caused by colonial exploitation of cultural heritage. Highlighting this issue also promotes cultural understanding and respect. Tattooed Memory serves as a link bridging the past, present, and future.
Temsüyanger Longkumer, home, 2023, Mixed Media Installation at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
home, is one of Temsüyanger's most recent large-scale, projection mapped installation. Exhibited at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, the work portrays humanity’s intricate and often troubled bond with our planet. Symbolised by a beehive, the installation clung to the ancient wooden beams on an abandoned building in the Lazzaretto Vecchio Island. The building was a hospital, from 1403 to 1630, for plague victims and later, a leper colony. The walls of the room bear red inscriptions from former residents, retaining remnants of that era. Amidst this historical backdrop, the beehive, crafted from chicken wire and repurposed hospital bed sheets, slowly comes to life in the darkness.
The sound of a single bee initiates the narrative, weaving as the piece unfolds until it escalates into a swarm overtaking the hive’s entire surface. What ensues is a mesmerising display as the hive transforms into a colony of human beings, tracing humanity's progression as they first construct buildings, then face a convergence of religious iconography and social protests amidst cycles of destruction and renewal.
home operates on a continuous loop, mirroring our planet’s perpetual cycle. As poignantly stated in its text, the display prompts viewers to ponder: ‘Can we ever achieve harmonious coexistence or are we prescribed to play the part in nature’s perpetual cycle of decline and regeneration?'
Gaili, Nagaland. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
Most recently, Temsüyanger has set out to fulfil a longstanding aspiration to build a residency space for art and ecology. With emphasis on permaculture principles in its landscape development, it is his most ambitious endeavour to date.
This terrain of over thirty acres showcases thriving rice paddies and an orchard featuring a diverse assortment of fruit trees, including bananas, mangoes, oranges and Parkia speciosa. Edible indigenous plants, herbs, composts and swales enrich the vibrant fabric of life within the Gaili project. Half the property is earmarked for forestry to be established as part of a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Interior of house under construction in the Gaili project, Nagaland. Photo Courtesy: Temsüyanger Longkumer.
As the project unfolds, it aspires to provide studio facilities catering to a range of art practices and programmes offering residents an immersive learning experience in nature. Its architectural ethos is firmly rooted in sustainable building practices, integrating traditional methods. A round-wood timber-framed wattle and daub studio is presently under construction, embodying this principle. Materials were almost entirely sourced from the land and surrounding forest. This low carbon footprint construction serves as a model for all future constructions. The overarching goal is to create a dynamic environment that fosters creativity, sustainability, a meaningful connection with nature and a source of inspiration for future generations.
Looking ahead, Temsüyanger will unveil his new immersive installation titled Beast of Burden; or, The Modern Frankenstein’s, at Greatorex Street in London as part of The Tellus Triannual—an artist-run initiative which gives a platform to showcase non-commercial, experiential work that considers its relationship with place, environment, and social context. Drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley's timeless classic, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, this exhibition considers the oil pump machines, affectionately known as Nodding Donkeys, as a contemporary counterpart to Dr. Frankenstein's creation.
Drawing upon the intricacies of unintended consequences and paradoxes entangled within our pursuit of ‘progress’ and ‘development’, this work is a poignant tribute to the symbol of human culpability – and this modest machine, which has become emblematic of environmental challenges and ecological decline confronting our planet, the scapegoat of our modern era.
Temsüyanger Longkumer’s exhibition ‘Beast of Burden; or, The Modern Frankenstein’s,’ in Greatorex Street opens on the 2nd of May until 14th of May 2024. To learn more about Temsüyanger Longkumer, connect via Instagram or visit his website.
Annette Fernando
Emerging Artist Co-Editor, MADE IN BED