Nagaland sculptor wins top prize at Northeast youth festival with PM Modi’s portrait
KOHIMA: Neivito Vitsu, a talented sculptor from Nagaland, emerged victorious in the clay modelling competition at the 7th Northeast Youth Festival, 2024, held at Agartala in Tripura from February 26-29.
His outstanding creation, a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “symbolizing development”, distinguished him from other competitors.
During the competition, 26-year-old Vitsu, hailing from Viswema Village, shared with The Morung Express that participants were given three themes to choose from: Save Girl Child, Environmental Protection, and Development, and he opted for the latter.
Representing Nagaland alongside other participants under the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Vitsu seized the opportunity to showcase his talent on a grand platform.
Despite sculpture being less popular compared to painting and woodcarving, Vitsu expressed his passion for the art form and his belief in its potential.
A graduate in fine arts, he has been honing his skills for about seven years through various projects, commissions, and training sessions.
His portfolio includes creating portrait sculptures for educational institutions and conducting art classes.
Utilizing different raw materials, Vitsu prefers using fiber, although it is not locally available and needs to be sourced from cities like Guwahati.
He highlighted the lack of professional courses in fine arts offered by government or private institutions, noting that many techniques he learned were passed down through generations.
With aspirations to open his own studio and receive support to further his professional journey, Vitsu hopes to expand his horizons and explore new opportunities in the field of sculpture.