Chisholm Gallery

Damba, Tsolmon

Mongolian Contemporary

Born in Darkhan City of Northern Mongolia in 1970, Tsolmon Damba studied Monumental Art at the College of Fine Art in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Upon graduation he taught Studio Art at the College for two years. He has had a number of live demonstrations at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. As recognition for the universal appeal for his art, Tsolmon was chosen to paint a mural for the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. Not only is he remarkably original in his ideas, all of his artworks are original – he makes no reproductions.

D. Tsolmon grew up playing in the picturesque banks of the Kharaa river in the midst of the beautiful, serene countryside of Mongolia, which is reflected in his art – all his paintings are beautiful, tranquil and powerful at the same time. At the age of three Tsolmon started drawing and painting and his unmistakable talent and creativeness caught everyone’s attention, including his grandmother’s. She was the one who took him to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to enroll him in the College of Fine Art, when time came.

Tsolmon spent four years at the College studying Monumental Art, and after graduation he was asked to teach there, which he did for two years. In 1996 he earned his Master degree in Traditional Mongolian Painting, where lies his true passion and talent. He also studied and collected ancient Mongolian art, particularly petroglyphs (prehistoric cave and rock drawings) and the indigenous art of the bronze era, because in his opinion, not only can an artist gain tremendous amount of knowledge from them, but one cannot progress without looking back deep into the origin. His interest in ancient art lead him into leather art, which he self-educated himself in and even invented his own unique style of leather carving. From 1993 to 1999 Tsolmon worked at the Mongolian Cultural Heritage Center in Ulaanbaatar as an artist and restorer, where he helped restore priceless works of art.

He has been spotlighted in the media in many countries, invited to participate in various prestigious exhibits and art shows. And it is only possible because he works extremely hard and because he loves what he does.