MAY SESSION - NYBA 2013 - SOYOLMAA DAVAAKHUU

Soyolmaa Davaakhuu

1977 born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Lives and works in Ulaanbaatar as a freelance artist

Education

1993-1995 Fine Arts College, Ulaanbaatar

1995-1998 University of Culture and Art, Ulaanbaatar

Exhibitions

2012 Joint exhibition, “Mongol Visions”, Seoul , Korea

2012 International Women’s Art Exhibition , Vietnam, Ho Chi Min

2011 “Mongol Visions”, Joint exhibition, Tibet House Art Gallery, New York, USA

2011 “Eternal Time”, Joint exhibition, Tsagaandarium Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2011 “Visions”, Solo exhibition Sant Asar Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2010 “Feminine Visions”, Joint exhibition, Xanadu Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2010 Solo touring exhibition, New York, Miami, North Carolina, USA and Toronto, Canada

2009 “Urban Mystic”, Solo exhibition, Atlanta, Ottawa, Chicago, Massachusetts,

Bloomington, New York, Buffalo, USA

2009 “Rhythm Dream”, Joint exhibition, Pearl Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2008 Mongolian artists joint exhibition, India

2007 “City of Gandharas” Solo exhibition, Xanadu Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2003 “My Mongolia”, Family joint exhibition, Art Gallery UMA, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Awards

2008 Best female artist of the year, Art Gallery, UMA

2008 Best art work of the year, Mongolian National Modern Gallery

Biography

The Mongolian artist Soyolmaa Davaakhuu was born in 1977 as the third daughter of artist parents. She grew up in Mongolia's capital city Ulaanbaatar and graduated with honours from the Fine Arts College, Ulaanbaatar in 1995. Later that year she entered the University of Arts and Culture, Ulaanbaatar graduating with honours in 1998.

In 2001 she become a member of the Union of Mongolian Artists ( UMA ), the most prestigious art society in the country. As part of this organization she was expected to submit paintings to four exhibits a year. Thus her works showed in some two dozens exhibitions around the country in this capacity. She has participated in every exhibition hosted by the UMA since 2001.

She has had a number of solo and collaborative exhibitions in both Mongolia and overseas prestigious galleries.

In 2006 Soyolmaa Davaakhuu was invited to America as an Artist In Residence at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art in Atlanta. Here she painted in the main gallery of OUMA for a month, in connection with “Portals to Shangri–La: Masterpieces from Buddhist Mongolia” and an exhibit of Mongolian paintings from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

In 2008 Soyolmaa was awarded Mongolian Female Artist of the Year. This award is especially coveted because the recipient is chosen by the greatest artists in the country. In the same year she received the Best Art Work award from the Mongolian National Modern Gallery.

In 2009 eleven of Soyolmaa's paintings were selected for the Donald Rubin Museum in New York.

Soyolmaa is known for her eclectic approach to art and Buddhism, moving between a number of styles including the traditional Mongolian Buddhist arts, contemporary urban expressionism and surrealism expressing the meaning of life through her own experience of Buddhist teachings on Enlightenment and emptiness. She works in many different media including paint, applique, embroidery, masks, costumes and sculpture. In addition Soyolmaa has illustrated more than dozen books published in Mongolia and details of her painting can be seen on covers of a dozen more books. She also worked for a year as an artist for the Mongolian Puppetry Theatre. Currently she lives in Mongolia working from her arts studio in Ulaanbaatar.

Statement

When I, Soyolmaa Davaakhuu, first heard the NYBA 2013 was announcing a contest under the

subject of “END and OVER” I was very keen to participate in it because it was in line with subjects

in my paintings and the ideas I express.

Since being accepted I have really looked forward to displaying my art.

The painting I am devoting to this contest is a serial of three works of oil on canvas, 200x150cm.

It shows where our life starts and where it ENDs and what happens to our world when it is OVER

from the point of view of both religion and science and in my own style of painting.

Finally I would like to express my appreciation of your acceptance and officially confirm my

participation.

Yours sincerely,

Soyolmaa Davaakhuu