Mongolia yesterday and today: paintings by contemporary artist Monkhbat

By Jen Eberbach

Reprinted from The Ryder Magazine. (Bloomington, IN). April 2007

The art gallery at Tutto Bène Wine Café & More recently acquired a series of paintings on canvas created by contemporary Mongolian artist Monkhbat. The 35 year old artist began creating art as a child growing up along the Tuul River when Mongolia was under Communist occupation and many artistic practices were suppressed. Since the fall of Mongolian Communism, artists have gained greater liberty to depict experiences with their land and cultural heritage. Monkhbat’s paintings include depictions of warriors, Shamans and nomadic travelers, as well as pastoral scenes and portraiture. According to the gallery, the paintings evidence how, in the country’s new political climate, “Mongolian culture and art has flourished by artists such as Monkhbat.”

In order to understand the historical significance of Monkhbat’s paintings it is helpful to look at the political history of Mongolia over the last century. Soon after Mongolia declared independence from China, in 1921, the country became politically aligned with the Soviet Union. The People's Republic of Mongolia, founded in 1924, transformed the country into a Communist state, until the adoption of a democratic constitution in 1990.

During Communist occupation, many aspects of Mongolian culture were attacked, including religion and art. Many artists, Shamans and members of the Buddhist clergy perished. Works of art that did not subscribe to the tenets of socialist realism were not supported by the Republic. Socialist realism, a Soviet-based movement in the history of art, is commonly associated with political propaganda. Artists were restricted in their use of subject matter and style, and limited to creating works that glorified the State.

The contemporary climate of Mongolia is one of change and vast complexity. The fall of the Soviet Union lead to Mongolia’s transition to full political independence, in 1990, and a democratic constitution was ratified in 1992. Since the fall of Communism, artists are creating works, which evidence the survival of native Mongolian aesthetic knowledge and cultural experiences. Although Mongolia’s newly acquired political independence has liberated artistic creativity, the increasingly urbanized landscape is changing citizens’ relationship with the natural environment and their cultural heritage. As researcher Mashbat O. Sarlagtay of the Institute for Strategic Studies relates, at onset of democracy, Mongolian “society is transforming itself from its previous base of nomadic animal husbandry to one based on settled industries in an urbanized environment.”

In this changing climate, Monkhbat’s look at history and heritage raises questions about the artist’s lifestyle and cultural experiences. According to the information Tutto Bène Art Gallery director Marci Widen has gathered, the artist grew up in the Mongolian countryside and his techniques are deeply rooted in traditional Mongolian painting.  It is also known that “[w]hile [Monkhbat] believes that he gains tremendous insight from” studying contemporary people and culture, “he also believes that he cannot progress, as an artist, without looking back deeply into his nomadic origins.”

The visual qualities of the works evidence the artist’s roots in traditional Mongolian painting. For example, many of the works contain a whirlwind of motion, accented by the flow of the figures clothes, their energetic poses and the artist’s depiction of wind and movement in the environment. Widen pointed to the artist’s crisp, “fluid brushstroke” as evidence that the he may have painted the works “very quickly.”

The paintings also incorporate subject matter found in traditional Mongolian painting, which frequently praises the nomadic lifestyle. In one of Monkhbat’s works, nomadic Mongolians move horses and camels, accompanied by herding dogs, in their seasonal relocation. Other works depict hunters, warriors, cart drivers with their oxen, musicians, and other individuals. The artist’s works also evidence the revival of religious iconography in contemporary Mongolian art. For example, the artist depicts a Shaman riding his reindeer, adorned in ritual garb and objects.

When viewing Monkhbat’s works, the significance of domesticated animals to the nomadic herding lifestyle is immediately recognizable. Several of the works available at the gallery picture animals exclusively. One of Widen’s favorite works, which she has titled “Horses,” is beautifully composed and sensitive to the life energy contained in the animals, causing her to frequently sense stronger personalities in the faces of Monkhbat’s animals than in his images of humans.

Stake out a spot to your right as you face the bar and dine amongst Monkhbat’s paintings. The works are available for purchase and relatively affordable for their aesthetic beauty and historical significance. View Tutto Bène’s selection of contemporary art and design in the restaurant’s main dining room, entrance hallway and the Art Gallery, which is located in the back of the restaurant. Tutto Bène is located at 213 South Rogers (3^rd & Rogers) and is open Tuesday – Thursday, from 11:30 am – 11:30 pm, Friday & Saturday, from 11:30 am – 1:00 am, and Sunday, from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm & 5:00 – 9:00 pm.