Dalkh-ochir, a pioneer of contemporary Mongolian art, is an artist who has profoundly influenced the shape of the Mongolian art scene today. In the 1980s, his early works, which focused on the previously taboo elements of Mongolian history, such as the legend of “The He-Wolf and Beautiful Deer” (“Borte Chono and Goo Maral”), the mythical progenitors of Mongolian race, gained widespread attention. In the following years, he introduced many new media to the younger generation of artists by working with installations, performances, land art, etc.

In his paintings, Dalkh-ochir often employs the techniques of Mongolian traditional painting, or Mongol zurag, which is characterized by its lack of perspective and flatness of representation. In addition, Dalkh-ochir’s work frequently alludes to the cave paintings found in various parts of Mongolia. The series of paintings entitled “Messages” (2007) employ these techniques to juxtapose the past with the present, while the very name “Messages” invokes both the shamanistic notion of spiritual connection between man and nature as well as the more prosaic reality of modern means of communication (the individual pieces are named after the text messages the artist received while working on them).

Dalkh-ochir was born in 1958. He graduated from the Sculpture department of the Institute of Fine Arts (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) in 1979, and from the Oil painting department of the Ulaanbaatar Teacher’s College in 1988. Dalkh-ochir’s work has been extensively exhibited both in Mongolia and abroad; most recently, he has participated in the Third Guangzhou Triennial. A founding member of “Green horse” modern art association, Dalkh-ochir has led the “Blue sun” contemporary art group, an arts collective with a contemporary art focus since 2002. He currently lives and works in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

RECENT WORKS:

Bazo’s recent work centers upon the idea of eternal motion and reincarnation as symbolized by the form of the circle, an essential image both in the nomadic philosophy of the Mongols and Buddhism. In this sense, the circle has multiple meanings in Bazo’s work – it is at once a representation of Mongolian history through the millennia, a personal quest for meaning as well as an artistic element full of possibilities. Thus, the artist approaches his subject in various different ways: he paints multi-colored circles on canvases, creates intricate wooden “wheels” or draws circumferences on the ground using odd archaic constructions made of logs, ropes and stones. Bazo’s circles provoke a variety of associations: from the Mongolian ger, the shamanic tambourine and the complicated symbolism of the circle in Buddhist philosophy to western land art and op art. Such different interpretations add multiple layers to Bazo’s work, which makes him one of the most talked about Mongolian artists today.

Although many artists have worked with the abstracted form of the circle, Bazo imparts a uniquely original vision to the subject matter through his masterful use of color and composition. According to the artist, the circle is a perfect shape, which compels him to seek its imperfections by either deforming its perfect form or creating an illusion of discontinuity within it. Sometimes the form of the circle is nearly unrecognizable as the shape is dissipated by a few forceful strokes of the brush. In some of his work, Bazo lets his paint drip on the canvases, endowing the rigid structure of his work with a spontaneous quality. Often his paintings have an eerie sense of deepness that draws the viewer into the abyss; however, when the artist plays with bright pink and neon green paint, his work becomes endearingly cheerful. Thus, the dialogue is brought full circle as these techniques further emphasize the philosophical implications of Bazo’s work. 

Born in 1979, Bazo graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with a painting degree in 2004. Bazo has exhibited extensively both in Mongolia and abroad – his work has been shown in numerous group exhibitions and several solo shows, including two one-man exhibitions at XanaduART gallery and one solo show at the Globe gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2005, Bazo won the “Best Work of Art by an Emerging Artist” prize awarded by the Union of Mongolian Artists. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Mongolian Museum of Modern Art as well as numerous private collections.

RECENT WORKS

Circle paintings:

Abstract works:

Installation views:

Although the self-portrait is the genre of choice for Badral, his portraits are dominated by non-figurative elements designed to disguise and obscure the central subject of the work – the artist himself. He seeks to explore the boundaries of personal and artistic identity, and his works are characterized by blurry and distorted outlines of facial features that seem to continue beyond the canvas. In doing so, Badral questions the representative quality of the portrait and whether individual identity can be adequately expressed by painterly techniques. Accordingly, Badral seeks to vary his choice of medium as he often experiments with different techniques. For instance, his latest series of self-portraits use sheer linoleum instead of canvas, which effectively transforms the atmosphere of the work. As these pieces are meant to be hung with a light source behind them, they seem to embody the ephemeral quality of the artist’s work. The individual portraits in these series are never complete – if one portrait focuses on the eyes, the other brings forth the mouth, while the third is a mere outline of the artist’s face. However, when contemplated in unison, they seem to form a unique whole that attests to the artist’s vision.

A senior year student at the Institute of Fine Arts, Badral joined XanaduART gallery upon winning the first prize in the gallery’s “In pursuit of an ideal insight″ art competition in 2007. In 2008, Badral represented Mongolia at the Tiger Translate Global Showcase held in London, UK.

RECENT WORKS

Works on linoleum:

Portraits:

Landscapes: