By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Creativity has no bounds and this is what Shanborlang Kharbudon, also called Denzil, discovered when he decided to take his penchant for drawing and sketching to another level.
Kharbudon, whose artworks are influenced by metal (music), went a step further by choosing to depict Khasi mythology-based themes on t-shirts.
Perhaps the first in the state to use metal style in Khasi mythological drawings, he told The Shillong Times that most of his artworks are influenced by metal. The sketches are based on dark themes.
Intrigued by Khasi mythology- Noh Ka Likai (The leap of Likai), Syiem Sait Snier (A chief who washed his intestines), U Thlen (The Serpent), Sier Lapalang (story of a deer) and others that have an overtone of dark and grim concepts, Kharbudon infused the stories by depicting them on t-shirts.
Commenting on why he is inclined towards Khasi mythology to be conceptualised in his t-shirt designs, he said, “I want people to be aware about our culture through t-shirt designs. Children will know and understand Khasi mythology.”
“There is a story behind every artwork,” he added.
Talking about his artwork that depicts skulls and skeletons, he said, “If you carefully read Khasi mythology, it speaks of death, fear, something morbid. Hence, the t-shirt designs are a combination of metal and mythology.”
Another turning point in his career was coming across his business partner Pynkmen Nongkhlaw who became interested in his work after an interaction.
Nongkhlaw manages the printing and clothing while Kharbudon looks after the designs by drawing it on paper and then goes on to digitise his artwork.
Nongkhlaw, who is quite new in the business, said that they encountered many problems as, “We are self-taught.”
There was a problem in the printing and they were constantly in search of better quality t-shirts but as Kharbudon puts it, “There is always a solution.”
Their t-shirts, they say, got better in quality with time.
“We are successful in one colour print and not digital print. We are concentrating on t-shirts for now and our next step is multi colour screen printing,” Nongkhlaw said.
Commenting on the marketing response, Kharbudon said the response has been good so far. “It got better after the Deathfest 2 where customers thronged the stall where the t-shirts were sold,” he said.
The Shillong Death Metal Fest 2 organized by Extreme Underground Metal Society of Shillong (EUMSS) was held recently in which Japan-based technical death metal band- Desecravity performed.
“The customers’ response was overwhelming and people were excited,” he added.
They have sold their t-shirts online since February and even have a Facebook page called “Dark Fancy” where customers can view the products.
They have sold over hundred t-shirts which come for Rs 700 a piece. “We are selling original artwork and people should understand the reason why it is costly,” he said. Kharbudon said that it takes him 2-3 days to sketch even as the difficult part is composing and merging the characters. “My inspiration is Toshihiro Egawa, an international artwork artist,” he said. On the downside, he bemoaned that other artists are copying his concepts as well. Kharbudon often takes part in drawing and painting competitions and has won accolades for his artwork. He won the first prize in the competition in Cherry Blossom Festival.