Photographer Archives Manipur's Art Through Years of Conflict

For more than a decade, an introverted photographer from Imphal has been quietly documenting something precious: the living heartbeat of Manipuri performance art.

Nicky Chandam picked up her camera at a folk performance in Delhi around 2010, not planning exhibitions but simply watching. Photography gave the self-described introvert a way to connect with the art that both terrified and beckoned her.

Her exhibition at Alliance Française Madras runs through May 31, presenting 58 carefully selected photographs spanning 2011 to 2025. The collection captures Manipuri performance cultures across Delhi and Imphal, from traditional folk singers to contemporary theatrical works.

Each photograph freezes a single moment that video cannot capture. Nicky remembers photographing a 70-year-old folk singer in 2014 whose face transformed mid-song when comparing fruit sweetness to a mother's milk. "The emotion that came over his face, that photograph is still there, and I remember it even today," she shares.

The exhibition includes diverse performances: Astad Deboo's fusion of Pung Cholom and Manipuri dance, Ratan Thiyam's Macbeth at Bharat Rang Mahotsav, and traditional Manipuri Raas. The most recent image captures Heisnam Sabitri in Pebet at its 50th anniversary celebration in Imphal this year.

Why This Inspires

Nicky's work represents more than artistic documentation. Since ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur in May 2023, artists have been targeted first, their programs cancelled and instruments seized while other professions continued uninterrupted.

Staging exhibitions in Manipur itself has become nearly impossible due to the unpredictability of life in the valley. Her archive preserves what she calls the "atmospheric dynamics and collaborative energies" of a performance ecology under immense pressure.

The exhibition features events alongside the photos, including a conversation about making art in conflict zones and the screening of Pebet. These gatherings celebrate not just past performances but the resilience of artists who continue creating despite circumstances designed to silence them.

Through patient, quiet work behind her lens, Nicky practices resistance. Each black and white photograph carries political weight, documenting cultural traditions that persist even when peace seems distant.

Her archive ensures that these performances, these moments of human expression and connection, will endure beyond the conflict.