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CREATING MONGOL DSURAG AND RE-CREATING BUDDHIST ART TRADITION IN MONGOLIA through his teaching and creations. In this way, Mongol Dsurag started to develop in parallel ways, both as a part of Buddhist art and as an institutionalised form of Fine Art. G. Pürewbat seemingly tried to abstain from the institutional education system but to adhere to the Buddhist philosophy, principles and practice.'® He started to develop an academic course based on the soviet-style tertiary education module with some additions by his partner and colleague Kim Sun Jeong from South Korea. However, Piirewbat was ‘fiercely protective of his methods of teaching Buddhist art.’ 17 According to Sue Byrne, a close friend of G. Pürewbat and independent researcher of Mongolian Buddhism, he aimed defining his own style as an individual artist “while remaining true to the essence of Buddhist art.””'* In close relation with the then president Nambariin Enkhbayar (2005-2009), who worked active on consolidating state and religion, national Buddhist images were re-created by him and widely spread in Mongolia (such as the painted image of Vajrapäni). How were new students recruited or educated as artists of Buddhist art, and here we speak foremost of young male artists, from the early 1990s on? We follow these questions by some examples through persons who were kind enough to give us insight into their careers as artists. Buddhist artists have been mainly trained in two institutions: at the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art (MIBA) and the Institute of Fine Arts of the Mongolian National University of Arts and Culture. Taking painting classes at so-called “circles” (duguilan) as out class activities in the socialist education system, students took their ways to later enrol at the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art or at the University. Dorjgotowiin Tulga was trained under the supervision of G. Pürewbat and now works as a teacher at the same school. He was randomly selected as one of ten students (out of40) while studying in a fine art study group (uran dsurgiin duguilan) in the Mongolian Children’s Palace (Mongoliin khüükhdiin ordon) or then the Pioneers’ Palace (pioneriin ordon). Today, he claims that it was his destiny to meet his teacher and become a Buddhist artist. However, he did not decide to become a monk. He explains the reason: “At that time, the perception of monks among the public was far (i.e. people were not open to Buddhist monks). Monks could be taken for prisoners as they had baldheads. Social thinking (niigmiin setgekhiii) was strange then. I felt embarrassed telling people that I studied in a monk school (/amiin surguul’) located in Gandan. I was saying that I studied art... I was shy and worried about what people would say. I was not ready for that. At that time of democracy, everything was developing outside there such as pubs, bars, rock and pop music, stars etc. When there sounded modern music, one would love to go there. One could not go there in a monk’s garment. Society did not allow me to enter into a monk’s life. We hold brushes 16 Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art: Cultural Warriors, Issue 1, 2006. 7 Byrne, Sue: Personal Recollections of the Revival of Buddhist Art after 1990: The Story of the ‘Rubbish Monk.’ 2016, 6. '8 Byrne, Sue: Personal Recollections ..., 6. 339
