Homage to forefathers

There is a saying that one must not forget their forefathers’ legacy. But, as the clocks have ticked along, today’s generation seems to have forgotten their roots in their pursuit of modernity.

It is with the intention to retrace where one comes from, that Conrad Syiem and Careen J. Langsteih jointly presented their works under the banner of ‘Kynmaw’, at the India International Centre.

The works captured the portraits of women who had a major impact on the artists. Apart from that, they also depicted the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya on cyanotype photographic prints. Careen explained that these representations are not of ordinary women, but they are of people who are closely related to her. She continued, “I wanted to do this because there are stories behind these portraits. This is a personal documentation of people around me.

The title of the exhibition means ‘to take note’ of or ‘to remember’. When asked about why the title is so, Careen responded by saying, “It’s like a museum that holds every important thing.”  Through these creations, she has tried to maintain a close connection with her ancestors. How? She explains, “I have learned a lot of things from her (grandmother) and listened to the stories narrated by her. I have done more
portraits on her than anyone else.”

Careen mostly uses charcoal as the medium. “I feel that charcoal is more organic — the connection was very close to my grandmother. The medium and the subject were working very well together,” she shares. Conrad, on the other hand, captured the Khasi Hills and the vistas of people from the market area. He expressed that there is a reason for why these works were on display. He said, “They all were a part of a certain period in time that was eluding the ground of understanding of history.” He added, “I am trying to capture something of historical importance by making use of something that is a historic process.”

He also captured the stones and rocks over there but, more interestingly, he used the cyanotype photographic technique, which has a charm to it. “It’s not a technique where you can say you have mastered it or have control over it because every time you try to bring out the same picture, it will not be the exact same thing as the first.” He then proclaimed the technique unpredictable and, at the same time, magical.