Today I’ll share my photos of The National Art Gallery of Mongolia and introduce the famous artists of Mongolia.
Let’s take a little art walk with me.

The National art gallery of Mongolia is a leading governmental visual arts organization established in 1991. The collection forms the basis for providing art education to the public through Mongolian modern contemporary artworks.

There are about 4200 pieces in the museum’s permanent collection, with only 7-8% on display.

“Portrait” series of exhibitions focuses on oil paintings, and in this exhibition, you will learn about the portraits of the Mongolian government and social and cultural figures in many styles of art.

The best art collection is on the 3rd floor.

The painting depicts the energetic fighting of stallions on the steppe in the evening of summertime, which is one of the most invaluable heritage in Mongolian art history. With the centralization of the main characters in a close triangle form and with the horizontal movement of other horses, the monumental painting gives a slightly imposing feeling. The addition of a herder and more horses and yurt in the distance blended splendidly with the color combination, also a balance of light and shade. In order to produce the artwork, the artist (Tsevegjav Ochir who had State honored prices twice) has spent almost a decade just depicting fighting stallions’ movement in a more realistic way. In the process, he made many sketches and even some small statues made out of clay.

With this painting of a great strand of steppe filled with two camels that are strangely blended in the ground with many different color contrasts to make breath life into the painting, artist Tsultem Nyam-Osor has received a State honored prize in 1958. Researchers have written different descriptions to the painting over the past decades. Art researcher Ph.D. Ts.Erdenetsog has made a more unique description. It goes as follows “Steppe household by painter N.Tsultem, that the beauty of eternal steppe with rich colors by his unique style which has grown on the traditional art field, is obvious to everyone to understand”. The painting is distinctly recognized for its notable transformation of the Western painting perspective method.

The painting which particularly described the life of the Mongolian countryside during the socialist regime in the 1950s that brought an ever-lasting change in countryside life is significant in Mongolian landscape painting history.

It depicts the short break of the brigade’s team working hard as always, in the artist’s memory. And he also depicts himself as a white-shirted man who is reading a newspaper. In his ten-year-long research and study of characters, he has emphasized the dramatic correlation between color emphasis, light and shadow transitions were blended characters, depiction of their emotions, in the masterwork. One of the invaluable cultural heritage, this painting is the main representative of the socialist realist times and reflection of political concepts. Artist has received a State honored prize in 1959 for this work.

The painting “Caravan” shows different artistic expressions due to the Thangka painter who is self-studied Western painting. The painting describes the people who are delivering goods between the countryside and city throughout the Mongolian steppe. These people who know the directions well like their fingers. The painting depicts their slowly moving action with the Mongolian beautiful steppe of winter time.

Mongolian first People’s artist Yadamsuren Urjen depicts an old storyteller who connects to the cosmos with his own unique melody, that the painting recommended by well-known scholar B.Rinchen. Researchers debate on whether he has shown Chinggis Khan, whose mere mention of the name was forbidden during the socialist time, or Tserennadmid monk of the Gandan monastery. When the artist was producing the painting, he combined the Mongolian traditional method with a western painting perspective for depicting the storyteller sitting in the main area as the composition of Thangka. Emphasizing the storyteller’s eyes like alive, and his concentrated facial expression showing that he is ready to start soon. The background of the painting, the drape on the right side, all strands of his beard, face wrinkles, embroidery and needlework on his customs, and all the accessories accompanying him were all done according to the intention of symbolization in a meticulous manner.

Since the first time an artist saw the Taikhar rock where in the Ikh Tamir soum of Arkhangai province when he was nine, the story about the rock was kept in his heart until this painting was produced. In the painting, the artist depicts himself as standing with a white shirt and his students making sketches based on a true story. This is the wind of fauvism in Mongolian painting history.

The oldest heritage of the Mongolian National Art Gallery which portrait called “Lenin ” by artist Sharav Balduu was produced just after the triumph of the revolution in 1922. The unique artist Sharav was known as “Hilarious” who could express traditional painting manners more freely than other artists of that time. His works were further strengthened. revolution’s concepts that were depicted in this painting. Combinations in the painting were how nomadic people understand symbolism, and how Mongolian painting was influenced by Thangka painting, also the western perspective method with light and shade that is the fundament of realist paintings in Mongolian art. history. By depicting Lenin, the great leader of the revolution of the Soviet Union, with the background of the globe with sky blue, it represents the idea that ‘May Leninism spread to the world’. And the depiction of red flags with lotus flowers represents the friendship between Mongolia and Russia. The painting might be the first Lenin portrait in Asia some descriptions to researchers. Since this painting was done, there has been a continuous trend of producing more political arts with Lenin, and the arts of Mongolia were developing through realism.

The “Film projectionist” is depicted on the hottest summer day when a man is going to spread the culture through the film too far destinations. The multiple colors explain that the sunshine is blazing sharply and the desert is heating. The depiction of a small piece of the sky is creating more air in the composition. Artist demonstrates the real gobi desert manner with few exact colors and lively forms.

“CONSCIOUSNESS” 2017 by HONORED ART WORKER, SCULPTOR OCHIRBOLD Ayurzana /Steel, 32x50x36cm/

A larger version of this sculpture is located in the center of Ulaanbaatar.

“LOVE” 1989 by STATE PRIZED ARTIST SARANTSATSRALT Ser-Od /Grog, 37x34x25cm/

Some old posters from the time of the socialist society.

ENKHJARGAL Tsagaandari was my art teacher when I was in secondary school. I am really happy to see his artwork here.

Concept of the work: This work contains various hidden messages In itself such as the progress of mankind the future and communication, while the core element of the composition is the quipu or the knotted strings.

Quipu – The earliest communication method.

Stirrup-A devises that enabled man to utilize animal power thus shortening natural progress in time of history.

Soil and Stopes – Represent the earth.

The triangular connections of the above-mentioned elements give extraordinary power in this work forming a concept of endless time and space. Road and Hoofbeat in 1998, this work was chosen as the first installation work representing Mongolian contemporary art at the 2nd Northeast Asian Art Festival held in Nilgata, Japan. in 2000. It was nominated as the grand prize winner in the Asian art category at the Kwanju-2000 international biennale. In 2001. the artist received a monetary award from the Mongolian government for this work for qualifying in the merit of achievement.

The entrance ticket price is 4,000 mnt which was affordable and reasonable. If you want to travel to Ulaanbaatar city, this place might be an interesting stop.

Also, you can see the virtual tour here, and more information about The National Art Gallery of Mongolia here.

Hope you like my post. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Stay safe and take care!