Manipuri Ceramist Ningkhan Keishing takes us through his practice of working with clay and fire

Since childhood, I have watched my parents shape our humble house in Manipur with mud and clay. My hands, too, have held the soft clay, and this tactile intimacy with the medium sparked my interest in ceramics — born of earth, fire, and glaze. During my graduation, I deepened this bond by specialising in ceramic sculptures. What I admire about ceramics is its ability to hold memory, spirit, and story in its curves and cracks as well as the poetic strength of clay to be modelled into different shapes and forms.

Amidst the noise and anonymity of city life, I turn to ceramic sculpture as a way to be seen and heard. Building a large-scale work becomes my means of reclaiming presence. I reflect on the significance of family structures and inherited values. My practice often explores themes of intimacy, togetherness, roots and the idea of belonging. Further, storytelling in the form of the folklore that my mother once narrated deeply influences my work.

I observe the traditional techniques, themes and styles. As an artist, my aim is to create something new and original. While my work is steeped in local culture, it’s semi-abstract, which gives it a contemporary edge. I do not really look up to modern trends as it leads to imitation.

The process comes with its challenges, particularly when it comes to space constraints or the unavailability of essential tools. Being in a creative field, I’ve come to accept that both technical and artistic obstacles are inevitable, and I prepare myself mentally to adapt as they arise.

During the Residency, for instance, all artists shared a common studio space, which meant there was no furnace on-site. As a result, my clay model had to be transported from the studio to a separate kiln. The sculpture was fragile and some parts were broken in transit. Though this presented a difficult moment, it also became a learning experience. As an artist, I believe such setbacks are not just disruptions, they are opportunities for reinvention.

Being in its serene and green surroundings gave me a sense of calm. It’s a great place for any art practitioner as it feeds your imagination with creative thoughts. I admire its slow-paced lifestyle. I also get nostalgic about its simple village-like setting where one had to walk up from one department to another in a rustic surrounding.

Phunga Wari is a Manipuri folktale tradition usually told in the kitchen near a stove, furnace or fireplace. It’s a very warm feeling to hear such stories, as it brings the entire house together. My mother told us countless stories. One of them was about the family structure — how it comprises the mother, father and the Holy Spirit/God, where each of them plays a significant role.

The three-legged stove in my artwork resembles each of them, which is the key foundation of a family. My artwork is a way to pay homage to the idea that ‘family is everything’! It's a recollection of many stories told by my mother that stayed with me. My current work is a way of preserving this fading tradition that has a personal connection to my soul as an artist.

My mentor and ceramic artist Shitanshu Maurya from Lucknow and Ray Meeker, founder of Golden Bridge Pottery.

Working with ceramics allows me to continually push the boundaries of the material, testing its limits and my own, which paves the way for new techniques every time I create an artwork. During this residency, the new environment and limited timeframe have challenged me to trust the process and embrace exploration.

I feel a deep conceptual connection to my ceramic interpretation of the Taro Flower which grows from a root plant found in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Northeastern regions. It carries cultural resonance and personal memory.

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