Nyeiwang Wangsa’s face holds the weight of a fading era—one where the Konyak headhunters of Nagaland were warriors, protectors, and living symbols of their tribe’s strength. Every deep line etched into his skin, every tattoo across his chest, speaks of a life shaped by tradition, conflict, and honor. His story is not just history; it is lived experience, carried with quiet dignity.
His hands, weathered by time and battle, bear the cost of his past. Nyeiwang lost his fingers in combat, each missing piece a silent testament to the fights he endured and survived. In one hand, he grips his dao—a blade once wielded in decisive moments of life and death. On his shoulder rests a rifle, a stark symbol of change, where old ways and modernity stand at odds yet coexist.

As I rendered every detail of this portrait, I felt the weight of his presence—his resilience, his identity, his transition from warrior to witness of a world that no longer resembles the one he once knew. Nyeiwang is among the last of his kind, carrying a legacy that may soon live only in stories, in ink, and on canvas.
 
The Last Headhunter, 36" x 48", Charcoal on canvas