Arak Sangma took centre stage as guest speaker at
the first-ever Tribal Future Fest
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 6: Arak Sangma, a designer deeply rooted in Garo culture, took centre stage as a guest speaker at the Tribal Future Fest. In his 30-minute online presentation, Sangma showcased his dedicated efforts to revive the traditional clay art of the Garo Hills.
In this session, Sangma explained how he brings to life the rich stories and oral traditions of the Garo community through his clay creations. He discussed the cultural significance of this art form, which has been passed down through generations as a way to connect with the land and express community identity. Sangma shared his experiences and techniques of working with local clay, highlighting how he incorporates traditional motifs and stories into his designs. He also talked about the importance of preserving and promoting this unique cultural practice in the modern world.
Sangma revealed that the clay used as a canvas for his art is collected from an ancient site in the Garo Hills, where pottery, dating back over 2,000 years, has been found.
He meticulously handcrafts each piece, slowly progressing through every stage from shaping the clay to carving traditional symbols, and finally firing and framing. He pays close attention to how the materials react to the elements of earth, fire, and air. Some of his works use panels to tell a story, while others are detailed miniatures. Each creation is unique, evoking a sense of earth and home with a peaceful balance.
Sangma, born and raised in Garo Hills, studied fine arts and resides in Tura. He is also the founder of ‘A Kakki Studio’. The session with Arak Sangma was also attended by students and faculty members of the Ceramics Department of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
The fifth day of the month-long Tribal Future Fest concluded with a Q&A session where participants asked Sangma many interesting questions.
The Tribal Futures series is based on creative imaginations, which, over the next 24 days, will bring together creative professionals and designers from different tribal communities across the country onto a single platform.
This is India’s first-of-its-kind event, conceived and executed by creative professionals and designers from various tribal communities across the country. The forum believes that if India’s tribal youth cannot imagine their future, they cannot build it.
With this thought, the Tribal Design Forum is celebrating World Indigenous Day not as a one-day celebration of dance but as a 30-day series of intellectual and creative discussions to present a new face of the contemporary creative tribal community to the world and inspire the youth.
The 5th day’s session focused on how designers can play a crucial role in the cultural, social, and economic development of tribal communities.