Moranngam Khaling, popularly known as Mo Naga, was all set to pursue a career in fashion design, having trained at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 2004. It was while exploring various mediums such as plaster of Paris (PoP), wood, chalk, textile etc during his first year at NIFT that he wondered why skin was excluded. After a little discussion with his project partner, they decided to explore tattooing.
An independent researcher and revivalist of the traditional art and design culture of India with focus on Naga tattoos, Mo is currently in Hyderabad at Rock Bottom, a private cultural space in Banjara Hills. Taking a break from consultations with his clients, he settles to prepare his tools and have a quick chat. Known for his expertise in hand-poked tattoos, Mo recalls that day in 2004: “My project partner and I went to Secunderabad and bought a tattoo machine. Before we could even unpack the machine, three of our classmates were ready to get tattooed. I had never tattooed earlier. My friends, however, insisted that they had faith in my illustrations (my classmates were big fans of my sketch work, especially figurines and motifs). That was the first time I had tattooed. After a point of time, I stopped because I wanted to learn about the process of healing, treatment and all the other aspects of the art.”
