Artist hits lakh jackpot with painting at Hornbill

Kohima, Dec. 6: While the buzz in the media was all about criticism at the Nagaland government’s branded Hornbill Festival at Kisama village near Kohima town, a young struggling freelance artist has landed a windfall off his work: he has sold an artwork for more than Rs.2 lakh.

27 years old Vineizotuo Tase’s acrylic-on-canvas portrayal of a Konyak Angh (chief) has been bought by a British tourist for the whooping price. The art piece, measuring 65×49 inches, depicts a larger-than-life portrait of a frowning Naga warrior sporting a spear. The piece was sold on December 2, it was learned.
“It took me about 7 to 8 months to finish the piece,” Tase told Eastern Mirror on Tuesday. He had to work “off and on” on the artwork as he had taken up some other projects in between. Those “other projects” were voluntary work on beautifying Kohima town including the ‘Wall of Hope’ below the PHQ and painting footbridges in the town.

On his much-talked-about art, Tase said he was inspired by a photograph taken by a local photographer, M Doulo, when he did a project called ‘For the Forgotten Battles’. Interestingly, the photograph has its roots in Kisama. It was said to have been taken during an earlier edition of the Hornbill Festival.

“When I saw that photograph, the seriousness in the old man’s eyes, his hard worn wrinkles…. I wanted to work on it,” says Tase, and that was when he decided to do something with the theme.

Tase is a self-taught artist. He insists that he could achieve what he had today because he was ‘lucky enough to meet the right people’ (teachers and local artists) to guide his interest in fine arts.

On the price of his artwork, he confessed that he did not quote the price. “It was done through references from some senior colleagues,” he said.

The painting was, before it was sold off to the tasteful tourist, displayed at the Artists’ Corner in Kisama at the festival venue, where the works of 10-15 Naga artists are being exhibited. The art will be shipped to the UK soon, it has been learned.