30r364 boek.qxd:awards book 11 - Prince Claus Fund

Master Artist of Mongolia’s Modern Renaissanceby Zara Fleming“After 70 years of darkness, the phoenix of Mongolian Buddhistart is again stretching its wings in the form of Master Artist Purevbat.”Kim Sun JeongWhen I first stepped into Purevbat’s studio, I was immediately impressed by the quality andbreadth of his artistic creations. Countless paintings, sculptures and sketchbooks depictedimages and symbols of the Buddhist pantheon, each one exquisitely executed. The mostaesthetically outstanding were his representations of the human body in idealised form, themedium through which the higher ideals of Buddhism are evoked and brought alive. Here wasa master artist, a remarkable teacher, but also an exceptional man of vision.Mongolian Buddhist art has its origins in the ancient Buddhism of India, which then travellednorthwards to Central Asia, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia where it developed and took root as theVajrayana or tantric tradition. This highly esoteric form of Buddhism inspired a vibrant artistictradition which flourished in Mongolia for hundreds of years, particularly under the patronage ofthe Khans; but in the 20th century it was all but annihilated. During the seven decades of Sovietinspiredcommunist rule, thousands of monks were executed, countless monasteries flattenedand much of Mongolia’s artistic heritage totally destroyed. Since the introduction of democracyin the 1990s, the Mongolian people have begun to rediscover their Buddhist culture.Purevbat’s vision is to revitalise and develop Mongolia’s rich artistic tradition, and inparticular, to educate the younger generation. Today, he is largely responsible for the extra -ordinary renaissance of Buddhist art happening in Mongolia.Born in 1963 to a nomadic family in Tov Aimag, Purevbat’s innate artistic talent was recognisedat an early age by a former monk, and he was sent to the National Art College in Ulaanbaatarwhere he graduated with the highest honour. He then went on to become a monk and enrolledat Zanabazar Buddhist University in Gandan Monastery (the only active monastery duringcommunist rule), where he studied the complex philosophy of Buddhism and researched itsartistic tradition. He subsequently tracked down two surviving master monk artists, DorjjantsanLama and Danzan Lama, who gave him secret tuition; then with the support of Kusho BakulaRinpoche, he spent the next three years in India studying under the Venerable Sangye Yeshe,the official thangkha painting master of HH the Dalai Lama, and the renowned mandala artist,Geshe Samten. This was followed by extensive travels in the Himalayas, where Purevbat gainedknowledge and experience from many great Buddhist artists and scholars, and collectedvaluable art resources.On his return to Ulaanbaatar, Purevbat embarked on his mission to rescue and revive thefast disappearing traditions of Buddhist arts and crafts. In 1993, with very limited financialresources and under the patronage of Gandan Monastery, he established the Mongolian Instituteof Buddhist Art. Here, he gathered together a few surviving artisans and set out to train youngMongolians to be exceptional artists and craftsmen. The curriculum includes painting, casting,sculpture, metalwork, woodwork and appliqué. Today this Institute is flourishing under thefirm guidance of Purevbat, who ensures that all his students have a thorough grounding in theBuddhist texts and learn all the disciplines and techniques associated with Mongolian Buddhistart. Because this sacred art is primarily used for meditation and to guide the practitioner on hisor her path to enlightenment, it is crucial that each student has a profound understanding ofthe rules of iconography and iconometry as prescribed in the Buddhist texts. The composition702008 Prince Claus Awards