Tribolt: Furniture Designer Makers of Nagaland
Furniture designer-makers Ajung Yaden and Atem Longkumer left their secure careers to embark on a journey to reconnect with their Naga heritage.
Together, the husband and wife duo, founded TRIBOLT, transforming a lifelong passion for woodworking and design into a profession.
TRIBOLT honours the authenticity of Naga craft and culture, and its deep connection to nature. With wood as their medium, Ajung and Atem respond to the innate qualities that make each piece of wood unique - its cracks, markings, flaws, and all.
"Our work is characterized by a deliberate embrace of imperfections, letting each mark in the wood tell its own story. Our ancestors lived a beautifully organic life. Every piece of furniture in their homes, from the beds they slept on, the stools they sat on, to the plates they ate from, were hewn from wood, and they were raw, pure, bold and honest. These are the qualities we strive to represent in our work."
Each piece is designed and crafted by Ajung and Atem. Ajung learnt woodworking from his father, and by the age of fourteen, had made his first piece of furniture. Crafting and carving wood comes naturally to him.
"We shape wood with simple hand tools which have long been used for carving - including the legendary Naga Dao or machete. We leave traces of our woodworking on our pieces, adding stories to the character already present in the wood. The conversation starts when cutting into a log and discovering what is inside. We then ask ourselves - what is the best thing we can make from this? What would be inherently beautiful?"
To say that the couple lives sustainably is an understatement. "Our practice is totally embedded within the rawness of nature. Our natural surroundings are not just a source of our material and inspiration, but it is our workplace, through every season."
“We believe in using only locally available materials and wood from Nagaland’s rich forests. Our ancestors have been using locally available wood for construction, architecture and furniture. We also use reclaimed wood, which resonates with our value for sustainability.
"We like to think that we give wood a new life, in a new form". Today as they take traditional Naga woodcarving further, creating contemporary forms, that are both modern and ancient, they say, "We feel deeply rooted in our culture; in what we do; we feel at home with our work, and our designs." Through their furniture and interior design practise, they create spaces that align with their philosophy.
On the hazards of appropriation, they reflect, “For us, “Naga" is more than just a style. The identity goes beyond mere aesthetics. We believe that in order to design I the style of a certain culture or community, one must truly embody their indigenous way of life, deeply integrate with it and uphold the values, traditions, and beliefs of that indigenous community. One must truly belong there.”
"To imagine a design in your mind and be able to craft and build it with our own hands, while infusing it with the wisdom passed down through the generations, is truly both humbling and gratifying."