An Aesthete Passion: Molungsunep Kichu

Acrylic portraits

Airbrush painting of Jimi Hendrix

Airbrush painting of Naga elderly couple

Molung painting for Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lumami

Easter T Sangtam

Molungsunep Kichu is an exceptional artist, hailing from Mekuli village under Mokokchung district. He is currently residing at Aongza ward, Mokokchung and is a Geography student at Nagaland University, Lumami. Art had always been a method for him to unwind mentally. Molung claimed that his primary inspiration for producing drawings or other works of art came from drawing cartoons he saw on TV and doing it better than his buddies. He added that since he didn't have any action figures or toys, his favourite childhood activity was to draw toys on paper, cut them out with scissors, and play with them.

Art, he said, has always been a part of him. He states that he has gained a lot through art, including knowledge of other people, and it has forced him to use his time productively rather than waste it on various recreational activities. Apart from art, he is motivated just by looking at influential people and their stories and careers.

Making a living as an artist is one of his biggest artistic influences, but all of the encouraging words, support, and appreciations he receives from others are also influences and motivations for him. Other major influences include social media, as we are all glued to our phones and computers, and the majority of the influences come from those as well. His artistic style focuses primarily on black-and-white portrait paintings with vibrant backgrounds and traditional Naga cultural patterns.

Moreover, Molung mentioned that he also uses airbrushing and acrylic portraits to produce digital artwork in his distinctive manner. He is currently motivated to further incorporate his artwork infused with our traditional Naga style. When asked if one can accomplish art as a profession in Nagaland, he agreed that with hard work and dedication one can.

The major difficulties he encounters as a student and a freelance artist are related to the cost and the shortage of sufficient painting supplies. A message he has for the young aspiring artist is “Always stay at it, never give up and hard work will help.”

The write is a 4th Semester student in the Department of Mass Communication, Nagaland University.