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MARIA-KATHARINA LANG — TSETSENTSOLMON BAATARNARAN
at a Cooperative” (1979), D. Damdinsiiren’s “Mother’s Glory” and D. Urtnasan’s
“Mandukhai, the Wise Queen” (1982), explicitly exploit Buddhist iconographic
forms for secular national topics. Urtnasan’s “Mandukhai” is also notable for its
black-ground iconic technique (nagtan, Tib. nag thang) traditionally used to depict
fierce protector deities (dogshid). Main representatives of Mongol Dsurag style,
who contributed to the socialist modern art style while exercising traditional Bud¬
dhist techniques, are U. Yadamsiiren, A. Sengetsohio, D. Damdinsiiren, M. Piirevjaw,
M. Khaidaw, L. Minjiitir, B. Awirdsed, Ts. Jamsran, and B. Gombosiiren. Along this
pathway, the painting technique of religious iconographic representation had been
retained in the secular art style, Mongol Dsurag.
Re-nationalisation of Buddhist Art Tradition
After decades of correlating art educational systems between the Soviet Union and
Mongolia (and some other COMECON states) politics became more relaxed in the
1980s and the political turn of 1990 happened. Artists were free to choose which
style to follow or to develop. New artist groups (such as the Green House) and gal¬
leries were founded, some artists went abroad and some took the path of Buddhist
art and Buddhist artist. Along with the relaxation of the strict control and “pere¬
stroika” in the Soviet Union, Mongol Dsurag started turning to overtly religious and
nationalist topics by late 1980s in Mongolia. The suppression of Buddhist tradition
and the notion “loss of” in the communist era played a significant role in the social
imagination of the “revival” and “innovation” of Buddhist art in Mongolia. While it
was a pathway to re-gain “the loss” or (re)-identify the tradition for Buddhist artists
just after the 1990s, it soon became a competition towards being more “traditional”
(ulamjlalt) and “authentic” (yadsguuriin). Buddhist imagery that had been lost on
the surface returned, gained prominence and entered the market. In which way was
this reflected in art education?
The monk-artist Gankhiiiigiin Piirewbat (burkhanch lam), born in 1965, was and
still is the most prominent figure in the field of re-created Buddhist art in Mongolia
and played a significant role for the revival of Buddhist art in Mongolia. He had
studied at the College of Fine Arts where he first attended Mongol Dsurag copying
classes in the Fine Arts Dsanabadsar Museum. Later at the Institute of Religion
(Shashnii deed surguul’) at Gandan Monastery, he studied the old sacred Buddhist
artistic tradition and theory with old monks in Gandan, especially with two masters:
Dugarjawiin Dandsan lama (1916-2005) and Dorje Jangchen lama (1918-—?). In
consequence G. Pürewbat went to Dharamsala and studied under the Dalai Lama’s
official thangka painter, the Venerable Sangye Geshe and other high scholar monks
at the Gyuto Tantric University.
After his return, he established the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art in 1993
within the complex of Gandan Monastery. He established an own syllabus with
a staff of teachers for different classes and recruited art students. G. Piirewbat spread
an alternative approach of Mongol Dsurag strongly based on Buddhist iconography,
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