Temsüyanger Longkumer is a multimedia artist whose wide-ranging artistic practice spans video, sculpture, site-specific installation, printmaking and painting. Profoundly influenced by his upbringing in tribal Nagaland, his work explores – in his words – ‘the socio-cultural traditions in ethnic societies, and the correlation between communities in the microbial world and our own.’

Temsüyanger’s practice shows his deep connection to the natural world and those whose live within it – whether in harmony or conflict. There is also a strong sense of mysticism and magic running through his imagery, informed by songs and stories recalled from his childhood in Northeast India.

Temsüyanger’s terracotta sculptures focus on the mysterious world of microorganisms but are also reminiscent of curvaceous landscapes and the human body, with skin (or scale) – like surfaces. In the new body of sculpture made for ‘Drop Shadows’, pairs of sturdy terracotta feet are a recurring motif symbolising migration and community. The additions of spikes appear both menacing and protective, representing nature’s wily ability to deceive.

Temsüyanger’s work has been exhibited internationally at renowned institutions including the Museum der Kulturn, Basel, Switzerland
and the Pitts Rivers Museum, Oxford. His work was also selected for the Kochi-Murizis Biennale, India in 2019 and the Singapore Biennale in 2020. A solo exhibition was presented at Standpoint Gallery, London, in 2018. Temsüyanger’s work ‘Tattooed Memory’ is held in
the permanent collection of the Horniman Museum, London. Most recently, his multimedia installation ‘home’ was exhibited at the Venice International Film Festival, in August 2023. He lives and works in east London.