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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 contemporary 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 Dorjjantsan 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 Buddhist 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: 340
