MARIA-KATHARINA LANG — TSETSENTSOLMON BAATARNARAN
everyday while monks recited sütras and mantras. However, we memorized chants
and books that monks had to learn.” (D. Tulga, Interview, Ulaanbaatar, 1 July, 2015)
Although D. Tulga did not become a monk, he was one of the first seven graduates of
the MIBA and participated in the graduation exhibition. All the artworks displayed in
the exhibition were authored by the teacher monk G. Pürewbat. It was also a way of
reviving Buddhist art tradition to have art productions either anonymous or named
after a master school. They were mostly produced rather for the sake of religion
than art. Labeling art works with the name of an individual artist started quite late
in Mongolia, probably from Sharaw. Although his authorship for some works is
questionable, B. Sharaw was named as an important figure of modern Mongolian
painting. At their graduation, students of G. Pürewbat were satisfied for taking parts
in producing large numbers of artworks. According to D. Tulga, the students could
not have done without the teacher as he developed the whole project. They were
happy to participate in producing big-sized works. It raised a question among con¬
temporary Mongolian artists who had been educated at the Institute of Fine Arts to
have their names on their works. Narankhüügiin Khosbayar, an artist of Mongol
Dsurag claims that they were trained as individual professional artists while the
others from the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art as students of a master’s school.
Hence, the former sign paintings even if they were thangkas while works of the latter
are named after the teacher.
Buddhist thangka production and national style, Mongol Dsurag exist in a parallel
but distinctive direction in contemporary Mongolia. Tulga believes that the teacher
succeeded in transmitting the tradition of Buddhist art and Mongolian art.
“We have a good destiny and luck. Although many Buddhist monasteries were
destroyed, some necessary things were kept. Some countries had a tradition but it
was destroyed, as they could not transmit it. The Artist Monk Teacher (burkhanch
lam bagsh) had two monk teachers (lam bagsh) named Uran Dandsan and Dorj¬
jantsan who were from the 1900s. Therefore, they knew what it was like before
the 1937 destruction. From them, the teacher had been transmitted the inheritance.
Then, they connected him with the existing tradition. He was inspired and knew
that Mongolians had everything. He wanted to prove that and went abroad. He went
to India, Tibet and other countries to do research. After his return, he told us that
everything is in Mongolia and we kept most of it. Isn't that beautiful?” (D. Tulga,
Interview, Ulaanbaatar, 1 July, 2015)
Dorjnamjinii Ukhaandsaya, another student of G. Piirewbat opened his private Bud¬
dhist art school named Tsaglashgüi Gerelt Center for Training and Research of
Buddhist Artist. He believes that the utmost essence (okhi shim) of the Mongolian
style of painting (Mongol Dsurag) are in shiiteen urlal, or the thangka painting style
or in methods, colour harmony, symbolic meanings and representation. According
to D. Ukhaandsaya, his school attempts to transmit the Mongolian national thangka
style. He further claims: