Mizo artist discovers a new dimension in painting

Aizawl, Oct 22 (UNI) Despite Critics and art lovers outside Mizoram taking a great liking to the 'Zozehart' style of painting, the new style has failed to capture the hearts of people in its birthplace.

Tlangrokhuma, the first Mizo artist, to made it to Lalit Kala Akademy's V category and who is credited with developing the Zozehart style, rued that his own people did not show much interest in his works. ''This is clear from the fact that 95 per cent of my work is sold to other parts of India and abroad. My deep regret is that my masterpieces could not find a home in my home state,'' he said.

In an attempt to give a multi-dimension touch to the traditional values, the 56-year-old artist has discoverd a new concept of painting for the generation next, which he claims is fifty per cent realistic and fifty per cent abstract painting.

''Since it resembles the technique of Mizo traditional puanzeh (woven fabrics), I called it Zozehart,'' Tlangrokhuma, who has bagged three Lalit Kala Academy awards with his Zozehart paintings, apart from having been nominated to the national arts exhibition five times, told UNI.

Tlangrokhuma, who has been experimenting with his new technique of arts for the past many years, says that Zozehart is much more difficult than realistic paintings.

''I first learnt this new technique in state school of fine arts in Mandalay (Myanmar), from the principal, U Kan Nyunt during the early 1970s'', he said, adding ''this art is basically adding colours to the realistic painting to get across new ideas of the artist''.

With the aim to lure young artists on the new concept of painting, the artist has also developed a website, with the help of Bangalore-based Dr Lalrinawmi Ralte, to 'e-exhibit' his paintings.

The main objectives of the website --- www.zozehart.com -- are to popularise Mizo customs and traditions at the international arena and re-unification of all Mizo tribes, who are scattered all over the globe, the artist said.

There are 320 original paintings, under 12 categories, on display at the website, of which 291 have already been sold. There are around fifty Zozehart paintings at the site.

Most of the Zozehart paintings, as the artist puts it, ''are still in the jungles,'' meaning the models are against the backdrops of landscape only.

''I am experimenting on how to move into villages'', he said, indicating that he has not yet mastered how to depict houses in Zozehart styles.

Apart from Lalit Kala Academy awards, he also bagged various awards at the 16th All India Art Exhibition 2003 in Pune, (IFACS New Delhi Award, organised by Tilak Smarak Trust, Pune and North East People Choice Award 2005 (Life time Achieement Award in Art) organised by North East Television.

''Painting is an art, not one more business. It purely comes out of talent form a very few persons in the country'', Tlangrokhuma said, adding, ''an artist cannot setup his own infrastructure unless he is rich or encouraged by some others''.

UNI SNR SAM RN1110