The Revival of the Forgotten Art of Manipur:
An Exhibition of Modern Subika Art
On View: May 9 to May 19, 2026
Opening Reception: May 9, 6:30 to 9:00 PM
Venue: Gallery 16Ten, 1610 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
For more information:
thekolorbox@gmail.com or hello@thekolorbox.com
The Kolorbox, in association with the Advanced Research Consortium Library & Archives, presents The Revival of the Forgotten Art of Manipur: An Exhibition of Modern Subika Art, on view from May 9 to May 19, 2026, at Gallery 16Ten, Washington, D.C. The exhibition features more than 20 works by artist Sapha Yumnam.
Subika art is a rare and endangered manuscript painting tradition from Manipur, a state in Northeast India bordering Myanmar. Subika paintings are known today through surviving traces preserved in a small number of 18th and 19th-century manuscripts on themes of astronomy, divination, cosmology, and ritual practices, held in museums and private collections. They were painted on handmade paper and agarwood bark manuscripts, known as korbek or puya, and written in the Old Meitei script, the classical writing system of Meiteirol, one of the few Tibeto-Burman languages within the Sino-Tibetan family to have developed its own script.
The exhibition reintroduces Subika art as a cultural expression for a modern audience. While rooted in historical manuscript practices, modern Subika art reinterprets the form through new techniques, materials, and narrative approaches. The artworks expand the traditional visual vocabulary to engage with indigenous mythology, history, cultural memory, and significant moments of the region.
Artist Sapha Yumnam plays a central role in this revival. He has transformed the form from manuscript painting into a contemporary art practice. He developed modern Subika art through two illustrated books on Manipuri mythology and folktales. By drawing from Subika paintings in archaic manuscripts and working through a contemporary approach, the artist demonstrates how the form continues to evolve while remaining connected to its cultural and visual foundations.
The exhibition is curated by Wangam Somorjit, historian and Director of the Advanced Research Consortium Library & Archives (ARCLA), whose work focuses on the study and preservation of Manipuri manuscripts. “Subika art reflects a layered cultural history shaped by exchanges across regions and time,” Somorjit said. “What survives today are fragments preserved in manuscripts, yet within them exists a complete visual language. This exhibition brings that language into the present as a continuation.”
Priyananda Soubam, co-founder of The Kolorbox, said, “Through this exhibition, we continue our effort to amplify the voices of artists and place their work within a wider cultural dialogue. Subika Art remains lesser known, even within Manipur. This exhibition is an attempt to bring attention to the practice and open it to engagement.”
The exhibition is presented by The Kolorbox, an art initiative that works with artists through exhibitions and collaborations, creating contexts where their work can be encountered with attention and engagement.
View some of the Artworks
About the Artist: Dr. Yumnam Sapha
Dr. Yumnam Sapha Wangam Apanthoi M, born in Langmeidong village, Manipur, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Manipur University, specializing in Printmaking. He holds an MFA in Printmaking from Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya (IKSVV), Khairagarh University, and a PhD from the Centre for Folk Culture Studies, University of Hyderabad.
As an artist, he has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and has received several awards and honours, including the State Kala Academy Award in 2006. His works in Modern Subika art have been presented through solo exhibitions. He has also contributed as an illustrator to Feathers, Fools and Farts: Manipuri Folktales Retold (Penguin Random House, 2024) and And That Is Why: Manipuri Myths Retold (Penguin Random House, 2021), where he reinterprets Subika art for contemporary audiences. Currently, he is actively engaged in academic and creative initiatives aimed at preserving, recontextualizing, and promoting Subika art
About the Curator: Wangam Somorjit
The exhibition is curated by Wangam Somorjit, a historian based in Imphal. He is the author of Manipur: The Forgotten Nation of Southeast Asia (2016) and The Chronology of Meetei Monarchs: From 1666 CE to 1850 CE (2010).
He is also the director of the Advanced Research Consortium Library & Archives (ARCLA), where work focuses on the conservation of archaic Manipuri manuscripts. Through the Korbek Archive project, the initiative supports preservation and provides access to manuscript materials, including manuscript paintings, for research.
wangam.somorjit@gmail.com
https://www.arclibrary.org/
https://www.instagram.com/arclibrary/
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