Ringkahao had a subtle look of familiarity as he reached for his leg gear — draped in ornaments that appeared to morph into his bones and muscles. Behind him, crafted utensils and tools blended as one with the wooden panels moulded in time.
Ringkahao Khangrah, a seventy-year-old from the quiet hills of Sihai dedicated to preserving ancient Tangkhul relics and traditional artifacts, was chosen as Chitaranjan Khuman’s muse. Within Khangrah’s space, his artwork was photographed and showcased at Espacio Gallery in London.
Khuman is a Manipuri photographer based in London whose work is deeply rooted in culture, identity and human stories. As someone who has experienced different cultures across the world, Khuman says, “Manipur has, in many ways, strengthened my pride in where I come from. Distance has given me perspective — I have come to realize how rich, beautiful and meaningful the cultures and traditions of Manipur truly are.”
Having exhibited his work in Italy, Turkey, Naples, London and India, Khuman believes he has discovered a purpose — “a purpose to share the depth and beauty of our heritage with the world.”
Khangrah’s energy and the manner in which he carries his heritage is what drew Khuman to him. “From the moment we met, he was remarkably enthusiastic and open, eager to share his story and engage in conversation,” Khuman says. To Khuman, approaching Khangrah felt natural rather than intrusive, as his vision resonated closely with Khangrah’s personal museum.
By safeguarding traditional tools, utensils and artifacts that were once part of everyday Tangkhul life, Khangrah protects the knowledge, practices and cultural memory attached to them, creating in essence his own living archive.
In the photograph, Khangrah commands attention almost instantly. Light falls deliberately across his frame, sculpting the lines of his muscles, while two soot-covered stones once used for cooking rest nearby. The background remains dim, allowing the artifacts and tools — in tones that echo the soil to quietly settle into the space. In their presence, we encounter something elemental. We find earth.
“Documenting the Tangkhul community is not an isolated effort, but part of a much larger and continuing journey. I am currently working towards documenting the cultures, traditions and untold stories of our people — stories that deserve to live on for generations to come,” says Khuman, describing the initial steps of his long-term vision through visual storytelling.
Sharing a glimpse of Tangkhul traditions with a global audience and witnessing how viewers from different backgrounds connected with the story behind the image reaffirmed photography, in Khuman’s words, as “a powerful medium to carry local histories into global spaces and to honour where I come from.”
At a time when feeds shape identities and interactions are reduced to mere curated experiences, Khangrah’s quiet authenticity feels almost radical. Khuman succeeds in preserving this grounded presence. Still, the photograph invites curiosity — how might the story have evolved through motion? Movement has the power to translate inner rhythm into visible form, and a stronger embrace of it could have deepened the storytelling even further.
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