It is common in various societies around the globe to bestow a stole as a form of honor. Each culture has a unique objective for presenting a wrapped textile on a particular occasion. In specific ethnic communities in Nagaland, the Feast of Marriage is celebrated, and it is customary to gift a particular shawl to the bride or groom. The designs featured in each shawl carry a symbolic significance, representing the qualities necessary for an individual to thrive in society, such as power, integrity, and social status, among other positive and beneficial aspects of people’s lives. Florence Lohu, a self-taught artist from Kohima, Nagaland, reproduced the designs and symbols of the Naga traditional fabric on her canvas, resulting in a unique style and composition that is compatible with modern artistic expression.
Naga artist Florence Lohu after completing her Master’s degree in Sociology from Ambedkar University Delhi decided to follow her dreams. She started with pencil sketching in 2018, and evolved to become a water colour painter, in between acrylic and oil paints. The Artist believes that her style is “always evolving” and the inspiration comes from people in daily life and mundane things around. Her work is mostly based on painting traditional costumes worn by people of Northeast India. The young Mao artist developed certain motifs from various Naga traditions creates an array on her canvas. She calls this genre FloArt.