Guwahati
One hallmark of a captivating art is that it is novel yet resonates with something familiar. And to create such artwork an artist needs to have a comprehension of the vocabulary of traditional art and its myriad forms.
This is exactly what Lalhming Mawii (popularly known as Amoii), an acclaimed artist and proprietor of Art Novelty Gallery of Aizawl in Mizoram, has been striving for.
“The art space that I am running tries to bring in new forms of artistic expression and acts as a platform for the development of art. There are hardly any other such spaces in the State,” Amoii explains.
“I have been working with agencies like the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) to mobilise young practitioners under the guidance of professional artists so that they can apply new forms of creative expression and propel forward the artistic ethos of Mizoram, which is getting extinct due to the cross currents of modernization,” she tells The Indian Tribal.
Last year, in collaboration with SIRD, Amoii had conducted a ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development’ programme to select promising artists who were consequently trained on traditional Mizo drawing and painting, traditional Mizo wood and stone carving and traditional potteries.
“These artists have just ventured on their entrepreneurial journey and we hope that in a couple of years they make their signature marks,” she shares.
In her capacity as a seasoned artist, Amoii creates fascinating theme-based paintings.
“My area of interest includes the traditions, culture, folktales and values of Mizoram. I also explore themes pertaining to my identity as a mother and what it means to be a woman in Mizo society,” she points out.
“I use a lot of traditional motifs in my creations and question several societal issues, especially issues that are gender based. My work is essentially women oriented though there are works that are gender neutral too,” she elaborates.
When asked if there are any broad hallmarks of Mizo Art, the tribal achiever says, “Actually it would be safe to say that there aren’t any defining elements of Mizo Art as there are no coherent styles or forms that can be termed as Mizo Art.”
“Traditionally, Mizo forms of expression were different. The easel painting or sculpture that we know today were a product of modernity brought forth through the introduction of Christianity in Mizoram. However, there were instances of ‘indigenist movements’ by early artists who tried to create a body of artwork that can somehow be termed as ‘Mizo Art’,” she outlines.
Some artists believe that Mizo drawing and painting, and Mizo wood and stone carvings are a consequence of these movements.
Amoii has been an office bearer of Mizoram Art Development Society. Incidentally, she is the only female artist who runs an art gallery in Mizoram.
She is the recipient of several prestigious awards like the Rani Laxmibai Kala Award that was conferred on her in 2021by Manikarnika Art Gallery. Her work has been displayed at international and national art exhibitions and she is a well reckoned authority in the space of art workshops and seminars. And all these as a self-taught artist.
