TIA KI – Nagaland Art Space has announced Flower Moon: May Special, a week-long art exhibition marking the beginning of May, centred on themes of fertility, motherhood, renewal and new beginnings. The show features a diverse group of creative practitioners working across disciplines including poetry, spoken word, textiles, drapery, dance, and performance, bringing them together within a wider contemporary artistic dialogue.
The exhibition opened on May 1, 2026, with Flower Moon, a performance piece by Anungla Zoe Longkumer. Her spoken-word text was taken into movement by Virieno Christina Zakiesato, a movement artist and ballet teacher, along with Carol Humstoe, a fashion model and performance artist. Both performers wore heirloom and contemporary woven cloth, put together and draped by multidisciplinary artist Imchatsung Imchen.
Speaking about the event, Anungla Zoe Longkumer, artist and founder-curator at TIA KI – Nagaland Art Space, shared: “This is a beautiful result of artist friends coming together because we felt inspired to tell a story that is meaningful to us and express that in our own creative ways.”
Tia Ki is conceived as a house of blessing, a space for art, culture, memory and contemporary expression rooted in Nagaland while remaining open to wider conversations.
Woven Forms Unfold
The spoken-word piece unfolds in two parts, titled Mother and Sister. The first centres on Mother Earth, while the second turns to the weaver, seen as the original maker of cloth. It also draws on The Sü Archive of heirloom textile reproductions by KINTEM, alongside selected looks from the label’s latest collection, FORME (French for “form”). In keeping with the collection, the presentation brought together different artistic forms, exploring shape, placement and movement. KINTEM is a craft and textile brand based in Dimapur that grows out of the Wapangla Weaving Unit. Drawing on the region’s weaving traditions, it works with a network of Naga weavers across communities to produce textiles that are grounded in tradition yet shaped for a contemporary context.
“For me, Flower Moon is about allowing textiles to move beyond being worn objects and become part of a living narrative,” said Founder and Creative Head of KINTEM, Moala Longchar. “Through this collaboration, we wanted to explore how form, movement, and memory can co-exist, and it’s so fulfilling to see a new expression for our textiles”.
This collaboration brings together different practices, with each artist contributing in their own way to a shared expression. To mark the occasion, invited guests were served chidem—a traditional leaf-wrapped Naga meal, known in the Ao Naga dialect. Each portion included rice, pork, chutney and boiled vegetables, reflecting the spirit of Moatsü.
FAQs
What is Flower Moon: May Special?
It is a week-long art exhibition presented by Nagaland Art Space to mark the month of May, centred on themes of fertility, motherhood, renewal and new beginnings through contemporary artistic expression.
When did the exhibition open?
The exhibition opened on May 1, 2026.
What was featured on opening day?
The opening featured Flower Moon, a performance piece combining spoken word, movement and textile-based styling.
Who created the performance piece?
The spoken-word text was written by Anungla Zoe Longkumer and interpreted through movement by Virieno Christina Zakiesato and Carol Humstoe, with textiles styled by Imchatsung Imchen.
Which art forms are part of the exhibition?
The exhibition brings together poetry, spoken word, textiles, drapery, dance and performance.
