Ogin Nayam

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA under Productions is towards an Illustrated Art Book titled In the land I was born. The project coordinator has been collecting and documenting fascinating oral narratives, tales from his native land of Arunachal Pradesh. For this project, he will collect more tales and preserve them as artworks on paper. The art book will provide a well-designed, curated journey to its readers – taking them through a voyage shaped by memory, folklore and landscape. The written word will act as an accompaniment, providing context to the illustrations, without overpowering them. Ogin Nayam is the Coordinator for this project. 

Ogin Nayam is a visual artist and children's book illustrator from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. He primarily works with watercolour and experiments with various mediums depending on the needs of each artwork. In addition to painting and illustration, he is interested in textile-based art installations. In 2022, Ogin won FICCI Design of the year for the book Asamo, is that you? In 2025 he won Mehlli Gobhai Award, Illustrator of the year, and FICCI Cover design of the year for the book When the sun sets. Given his expertise, he is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA.

For this project, Ogin will collect oral narratives, stories, folktales and turn them into artworks on paper. These artworks will be accompanied by the respective stories to set context without overpowering the artworks. Ogin intends to create this illustrated art book for his readers to have a visual experience – a curated journey shaped by memory, folklore and landscape. Each spread will hold one story and it will begin with the phrase: “In the land I was born…” Gathering these stories and oral narratives lies at the heart of this project. Ogin will travel across Arunachal Pradesh meeting individuals with whom these stories are alive. He will collect them, write them down, and illustrate them, giving them a life on paper. This in essence is an oral history archival work, where the stories will find a home in the illustrations and the written word.

The outcome of this project will be an illustrated art book—In the land I was born—with 25-30 illustrated artworks and stories. The Project Coordinator's deliverables to IFA along with the final report will be documentation materials from the project, and the art book. At the end of the project, Ogin will also host a sharing, feedback, and acknowledgement session with the local communities. 

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Practice programme in the manner in which it intends to create an illustrated art book that will collect, illustrate, and immortalise the fascinating oral narratives and stories from Arunachal Pradesh. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.

This project is supported by Tata Trusts.