01 11
Mrs. Wang Limei
Director of the Beijing World Art Museum
His works reflected the worldview of the Buryat people and the author inclusive, characteristic of the philosophy of shamanism that everything in the Universe has a soul, everything is connected and interdependent. All these ideas can be seen in his work. I think that his works are actually very mysterious, but we can understand this mystery by looking back into the past, feeling the spirit and mood that the author wanted to express in his works. ...in his works we see a kind of synthesis of two cultures"
02 11
Dr. Maurizio Vannou
Executive Director of the Lucca Center of Contemporary Art Museum
Dashi is an artist by vocation. He is gradually gaining international recognition. Dasha’s sculpture in the world of our time is the fruit of the creation of an artist who listens, who is nearby and who perceives the state of modern world art and at the same time respects the past and traditions. This is fantastic realism, even more real and realistic than what nature offers us. Dashi is an artist of his time. He translates personal experience into his sculptures, into his creations
03 11
Sergey Bodrov
Film director of the film "Mongol"
Dashi is a unique person with unique abilities. Therefore, he contributed much more to the picture than an ordinary artist. He contributed his knowledge of a culture that is completely unknown. He guesses the style very accurately. He is practically a co-author of our film. Without him the picture was worse.
Dashi is our artist. He is a famous sculptor. He knows it all, feels everything, he is an amazingly talented person.
04 11
Westminster City Council
This is a mystical and fantastic sculpture. The Guardian is a powerful protector with sharp and terrifying wings on her back. She seems to growl, threatening anyone who dares to attack those she protects with sharp fangs
05 11
Valentin Yudashkin
Honored Artist of Russia
What I see is very young and dynamic for me. The artist feels form, plasticity, very nationally and ethnically.
06 11
Irina Khakamada
Dashi, I think this is such an Asian Dali, because this is a challenge, this is crazy energy, a huge knowledge of his own ethnic roots, but processing in modern Western values. He is a unique artist...
07 11
Dmitry Peskov
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin
Any exhibition of Dasha is a great holiday for those who love and know his work. This is a bright representative of Russian culture, which is rich in all our diversity. And it’s great that he brings his art abroad and pleases our viewers.
08 11
Valentina Matvienko
Rare talent. We must give the opportunity to enjoy his work, his magic, to as many people as possible.
09 11
Rider
I have been familiar with the work of Dasha Namdakov for quite a long time. When I first saw his sculptures, I fell in love immediately, at first sight. Since those ancient times, I have been a big fan of the work of this famous Buryat sculptor, whose fame and recognition extends far beyond the borders of Russia. His sculptures have a special style, unique to Dasha. These artifacts cannot be confused with anyone else's. They are recognized from afar by their barely noticeable silhouettes.
Violinist
If your city suddenly hosts an exhibition of masterpieces by Dasha Namdakov or his family, be sure to go. These unique works will resonate in the hearts of everyone, even those people who are far from art. It's a feeling that I can't find the right words to describe.
Altargana
Dasha’s creativity is tightly intertwined with the cultural traditions of his homeland – the Trans-Baikal Territory. His ancestors, descendants of nomads, in addition to their main occupation - cattle breeding, were skilled artisans and were famous for their skillful processing of natural materials: wood, bone, leather, silk fabrics, chased silver, horsehair, sheep wool.
Currently in Irkutsk there is an exhibition of designer dolls of the Namdakov family ULGER (translated from Buryat - fairy tale), which are made according to Dasha’s sketches. This collection is being exhibited for the first time. Well, naturally, I couldn’t miss such an event.
The image of each doll is based on a graphic sketch, which gives birth to the idea of the doll.
Dashi makes sketches, other family members make doll frames, and still others give the basic shape and color to the character’s image, “dressing” him using natural materials and traditional techniques. Wooden thrones, papier-mâché faces, coral beads, hand sewing and horsehair weaving give the products a unique and unique charm.
And again, I cannot express in words their outer calm and inner deep meaning. A certain external detachment and internal depth. So what do you call it? Maybe - interior space?!
They resemble characters from historical legends, heroes of the Buryat epic or Buddhist parables.
The dolls are static, but each of them has a certain character, and in an elegant pose there is characteristic plasticity. Following the national tradition of the Buryats in processing wood and fabrics, as well as “jewelry” sewing techniques, weaving from horsehair, yak hair, decorating with various materials, arouse the delight and admiration of the craftsman.
The Swan Girl or Huun-shubuun is the ancestor of one of the large Buryat clans - the Khori. The artist himself belongs to this family.
The theme of “dolls” in the applied art of many peoples of the world is closely connected with rituals and games that arose in ancient times. The tradition of making dolls in the Buryat culture comes from the worship of the cult of the mother, sacred animals, and local deities. Later came the culture of Lamaism, which presents the richest traditions of artistic crafts in a wide variety of art forms. On the altars of temples, in rituals and theatrical performances, you can see deities and masks made by artisans from different materials and using different techniques. In imitation of them, figures of guardian deities, skillfully made by the hands of craftsmen, also appeared on home altars in Buryat families.
Cast sculptures that he creates Dashi Namdakov, made using artistic casting, forging and mixed techniques from bronze, silver, gold, copper, precious stones, as well as from bone (mammoth ivory), horsehair and wood. Sculpture, jewelry, graphics and tapestries have a distinct unique author's style, which is based on elements of national culture, traditions of Central Asia, and Buddhist motifs.
Works Dashi Namdakova are kept in the collections of the State Hermitage, the Russian Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Oriental Art, and in museums in many countries around the world. The sculptures are in the private collections of V. Putin (“Element”), President of Tatarstan M.Sh. Shaimiev (“Horseman”), Moscow Mayor Yu.M. Luzhkov, head of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug R.A. Abramovich (“Evening”, “Old Warrior”), other representatives of Russian politics and business, as well as in private collections in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, USA, Taiwan. Dasha's works include such diverse famous people as Gerhard Schröder, country music star Willie Nelson, and actress Uma Thurman.
Dashi Namdakov held more than 14 personal exhibitions in Russia and abroad, including in famous museums and galleries around the world.
Awarded a silver medal of the Russian Academy of Arts. Since 2004 he has lived and worked in Moscow.
In 2007, he provided artistic design for the film “Mongol”.
His full name is Dashi Nima - "Lucky Sun". And the name in the ancient Buryat family contains the “code of fate”. Therefore, when naming the baby, the lamas took into account not only the day and hour of his birth, but also the location of the luminaries. Nothing happens by chance in the world at all.
Dashi Namdakov is a Russian graphic artist and jeweler, member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation. Born in 1967 in the Chita region, graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Art Institute. In 2003 he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts.
In recent years, Dashi has held many personal exhibitions in the largest museums in the world: the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, the Center for Tibetan Culture (Tibetan House) in New York, the Beijing Museum of World Arts, etc.
Dashi Namdakov became the production designer for the film “Mongol” (directed by Sergei Bodrov Sr.). The film was nominated for an Academy Award (2007) for Best Foreign Language Film and also won six National Nick Awards. Dashi Namdakov was recognized as the best costume designer.
The artist’s works are in the collections of many museums in Russia and the world, as well as in the personal collections of the Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, President of Tatarstan M.Sh. Shaimiev, Moscow Mayor Yu.M. Luzhkov, in private collections in the USA, Germany, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, China and Taiwan, Singapore.
Dasha Namdakov's childhood
Dashi Namdakov’s family belongs to an ancient, respected family - the Darkhans. These families always produced the best jewelers, craftsmen and artists. Only they were allowed to work with fire, a sacred symbol of chosenness. They possessed the highest knowledge, passed on from generation to generation. It was believed that people from the noble class could control a lot. But much was allowed and much was asked. All members of the upper class had great responsibility for the world in which they lived.
Dasha Namdakov’s father, Balzhan Namdakov, was a famous folk craftsman - a blacksmith, an artist, he painted Buddhist thangkas (icons), was engaged in sculpture, wood carving, and weaved carpets. He did a lot for the collective farm where he worked - he designed and built a small power plant, created agricultural machines. Smart, bright, gifted and knowledgeable person. At the same time, he had only a few classes of education - in the post-war hungry years in the village there was no need to think about studying, if only he could survive... Belzhan taught his children a lot.
The family consisted of four sons and four daughters. They all draw well, each is a creative person in his own way. Dashi was born sixth. Until the seventh grade, he lived with his parents in a Buryat village and felt like a part of the Universe in which he grew up. The special way of life in the family, the subtle connection between generations, his Gift, which manifested itself in early childhood... The fantastic nature of Buryatia, pristine rivers, the fantastic Sayan Mountains, the steppe, the unimaginable beauty of Baikal became for a child, who subtly senses the beauty of the world, a whole cosmos - huge and beautiful . Life was good until seventh grade...
Dashi Namdakov:
“I have already seen the decline of this civilization, which is very difficult, almost impossible, to return. For this to happen, a miracle must happen. Life is changing before our eyes, and although many changes are good, something important is irretrievably lost. It is no longer possible to explain to children how you can feel your connection with nature, be in harmony with it... The nature of my Motherland is amazing - it is a whole cosmos, and you live in it, live it, you are a flower in this life, a blade of grass. Not a bolt rusting in a puddle. But it’s impossible to go back...
Boarding school
Everything changed very dramatically. There was no secondary school in the village, and Dasha had to study at a boarding school. He now came home only on weekends and holidays. The familiar world collapsed, all its riches were reduced to elementary rules - simple, but tough and the same for everyone. It’s as if someone decided for him: “You have to live this way and that way, guy, there’s no other way.” Very fragile things were distorted and destroyed, connections were severed. It was as if foreign blood, a different ideology, different ideas about life, different concepts about the world were pumped into the veins.
Dashi Namdakov:
“Only by the age of forty did many things begin to emerge in my memory, and the world of the teenager I once was began to be restored. Education that is the same for everyone kills something in the soul, replacing the True with one ideology for everyone. You begin to analyze life and understand the unequal value of loss: what you lost and what was imposed on you in return for what was lost. Villages are disappearing, people are losing touch with their roots - a cataclysm that has turned everything upside down...
Dashi started drawing very early. No one doubted his talent. But at school they didn’t think much about it. Everyone draws a carrot - and you draw it. They draw an apple - and don’t shirk. It was incredibly boring for a teenager who painted pictures with complex compositions. Out of a sense of protest, he did not agree to draw simple objects. And one day I almost stayed for the second year because of poor performance in drawing.
There was everything at the boarding school. Dashi reacted very sharply to injustice, undeserved insults, and yearned for everything he left at home. Probably, not all children perceive such changes as tragically, but for Dasha they provoked not just a breakdown in consciousness, but also a serious illness. He underwent four operations, his stomach simply refused to work. Every night, Dashi, exhausted like a concentration camp prisoner, woke up from unbearable pain. Over the course of several years, a variety of treatment methods were tried, but there was no improvement. When hope for medicine faded, the parents turned to the shaman for help. This decision was not easy for them: mom and dad professed Buddhism all their lives, the philosophy of which denies Tengerianism (shamanism). But the son was almost dying...
The ceremony was long and complex. The next day, Dashi slept until lunchtime for the first time in many years. When he woke up, sunlight flooded the room. And nothing hurt him!
This event left a mark on his entire life. No, he did not stop being a Buddhist, but the words of the shaman that illness is the price for breaking ties with nature fell on fertile soil. Since then, Dashi has thought a lot about paganism, its roots, and the forces of nature. Everything that doesn't kill us makes us stronger. If it weren’t for this illness and the miraculous cure, we probably would have known a completely different Dashi Namdakov. The impulse received from the shaman sounds in many of his works; his world is populated by strange creatures, beautiful images that emerged from the depths of ancestral memory. All of Dasha’s works come from the world of ancient myths and legends. What was seen in a dream at night becomes reality under his hands during the day. The spirit of his land, the forces of nature in which he grew up, lives in Dasha’s creations. They contain a deep secret that not everyone can unravel, but it is impossible not to feel their energy and beauty.
Dashi Namdakov:
— We must not break away from our roots, from the forces of nature. Earth, water, air - you cannot teach love for the elements, you need to feel them and draw strength from them. It seems to me that I have learned a lot, and this obliges me to take life seriously and responsibly.
Europe, Asia, and America are interesting - each civilization has its own invaluable experience. I am especially interested in those countries where traces of ancient civilizations have been preserved. And yet there is nothing better in the world than my homeland. If I can help in any way in preserving the culture of my people, I am happy.
Institute
After school, Dashi Namdakov tried to enter the Moscow Art School. I didn’t dare take the documents to the institute - it seemed like almost celestials were studying there. And he miscalculated. At the school, only four places were allocated for nonresidents; the competition for these places was absolutely incredible, incomparable with that of a university. But there was no one to advise.
It was awkward to return home with nothing - and Dashi entered the architectural faculty of the Novosibirsk Institute of Civil Engineering. Once I collected my wooden sculptures and approached the teacher-sculptor: “Take me as a student.” He looked: “Boy, you came to the wrong place to study. You need sculpture." Dashi himself understood: well, architecture is not his business, he saw the future completely differently. And although he knew what grief his decision would bring to his parents and siblings (there was no special capital, the younger ones were raised by the whole family), he abandoned his studies. Two years later he became a student at the Krasnoyarsk Art Institute. Only five or six people a year were recruited there for academic specialties. Dashi began to study sculpture.
Teacher
In Dasha’s life, at turning points, more than once he met people - “signs of fate” who distinguished him from many others and tried to help and teach him. Back at school he had a literature teacher - thanks to him, Dashi fell in love with literature and poetry.
At the institute, Dasha was also very lucky with the teacher - he was noticed by academician, secretary of the Siberian-Far Eastern branch of the USSR Academy of Arts, professor of the institute’s sculpture department Lev Nikolaevich Golovnitsky. A talented sculptor, he immediately saw that the young man from Buryatia had a gift. For Dasha, the teacher’s opinion and assessment were very significant. They had a warm relationship, they talked for a long time, Dashi often accompanied the Teacher home, knowing how difficult it was for him with chronic asthma to climb to the third floor. Lev Nikolaevich’s wife, Enrika Emilievna Eckert (also a sculptor), always tried to prepare something light and dietary for Dasha’s arrival - the Golovnitsky family also knew about his stomach problems.
In his fourth year, returning from vacation, Dashi began to think about whether he should quit his studies? It seemed that he had already learned everything he could. I wanted to create, to work independently. He was already considered a master, people started talking about him. People came running to his exhibitions to see what new things Dashi had created? So is it worth spending another three years of your life on lectures (the course was designed for six years)? And how to tell the teacher about this?
Fellow students told Dasha that Lev Nikolaevich was admitted to the hospital, and the Master asks the student to come to him. Of course he came.
Lev Nikolaevich himself started the conversation:
“I guess what you’re up to, Dashi, and I understand everything.” Well, let's do our diploma.
- How’s my diploma, I still have almost three years left to study?!
— You will graduate as an external student.
Lev Nikolaevich took upon himself the entire bureaucratic part - he came to an agreement with the educational part, with the teachers. The Master's authority was such that he was able to convince even the most dissatisfied. I did the same with Dasha - I locked him in the workshop so that nothing would distract him from his studies. He came to him every day, brought books, told him everything he knew about art history. The immersion method worked - Dashi plunged headlong into the works of the masters of Assyria, Babylon, Phenicia, Egypt, India, China, Byzantium... It seemed to him that he himself had moved into the world of bygone civilizations. Golovnitsky praised the student for his zeal and promised that all the knowledge that Dashi “swallowed” at such a pace would still be useful to him in a few years, when the time came. And so it happened...
Teachers came to the workshop to take exams. All subjects were successfully passed. After defending his diploma, Dashi left for his homeland. When, a few months later, he learned about the death of his teacher and understood why Lev Nikolaevich was in such a hurry to tell him everything he knew... Dasha did not have time to say goodbye to the Teacher - the news arrived late. And this tormented him for many years.
First collection
He arrived in Ulan-Ude in the early 90s. Times started off not too calm. By that time, Dashi was already married, his son Chinggis was growing up in the family - he had to feed his family and earn money. He opened a tiny, several square meters, jewelry workshop - his products, stylized as finds from ancient burial mounds, were in good demand. My wife worked as an economist at a bank, some money appeared in the family, and everyday problems disappeared. It was time to get creative. Dashi says that he is lucky because he is lucky with his wife. It was she who said at that moment: “Mind your own business. Every dog has his day". Then he set the following schedule: two weeks - work on jewelry, the next two - “for the soul.” Sculpture is an expensive pleasure; almost everything earned from “jewelry” went to pay for casting and minting. Over the course of several years, a whole collection has accumulated. It was time to show it to the world.
Success
Dasha Namdakov's first personal exhibition took place at the Irkutsk Art Museum on February 16, 2000. On this day Dasha turned 33 years old.
The common expression “the next day he woke up rich and famous” is quite appropriate here. There was no end to people wanting to see Dasha’s collection; the exhibition went off with a bang; the entire collection was sold out. The Irkutsk Union of Artists invited me to move to Irkutsk and offered the best studio in the city...
After some time, Dasha was invited to an exhibition in Moscow. The exhibition was held at the Central House of Artists, and other young Russian sculptors took part in it. In the capital they started talking about his work.
In 2003, Dashi Namdakov was invited to organize an exhibition in Yekaterinburg, during a summit in which Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder took part. Dashi knew that Golovnitsky’s widow moved to Yekaterinburg after her husband’s death. He found Enrika Emilievna, came to visit, and invited her to the exhibition. But she refused: “You know, Dasha, when Lev Nikolaevich died, I stopped going to exhibitions. For me, the sculpture died along with my husband.” We sat and drank tea, Dashi left. And after some time I received a letter. Enrika Emilievna wrote that she still went to the exhibition: “Lev Nikolaevich would be proud of you. You brought back my love for sculpture.” The feeling of guilt that had been tormenting Dasha for so long was finally released...
River of life
In 2004, Dashi moved to Moscow with his family, but did not lose contact with his homeland. He often visits Buryatia, where his parents still live today. True, children are growing up in a different world - and this is his constant pain. Dasha has three children: the eldest son and two daughters, one is twelve years old, the other is only six months old. Chingis, a student at the Higher School of Economics, recently had his own child. In the male line, this is already the 23rd generation of Namdakovs over the past 600 years, whose names remain in the memory of the family.
Dasha’s parents taught her: “You can’t want something too much in this life. If you start setting some super-goals, everything collapses. Live calmly, surrender to the flow of the river of life, have fun.” And he has been guided by this rule all his life.
And the gods help him. It’s not for nothing that they called him that – Lucky Sun.
I think the gods would be offended at me if I said that I was not a happy person. I always felt that I was being “led” through life. I was lucky with people. I do what I know and love. Sculpture is my poetry, poetry in volume. It happens that people spend years looking for their own handwriting, their own style. I never looked for him. I wrote and created as I breathed - that is how I live. This is my world that exists inside me.
But creativity is not the whole of life. I love my family, I like to travel, I have traveled a lot around the world, I greedily discovered the world. I'm interested in everything in this life, it's interesting to live.
No discount store will sell you such sculptures. Dasha's original works are valued as real works of art. 
If you are like Dashi Namdakov, a creative person and also involved in sculpture, make a personal virtual exhibition and the public will know about you. To do this, you just need to photograph your own work and post it online. The pictures will need to be pre-processed to make them look more attractive. If you don’t know how to do this, entrust this work to professionals.
Dashi Balzhanovich Namdakov (Dashinima Balzhanovich Namdakov) was born on February 14, 1967 in the village of Ukurik, Khiloksky district, Chita region. He is the sixth child in the large family of Balzhan and Buda-Khanda Namdakov, who had a total of eight children. The sculptor’s family belongs to the ancient family of darkhan blacksmiths “Darkhate”, which produced the best jewelers, craftsmen and artists. Father - Balzhan Namdakov, a famous folk craftsman - blacksmith and artist, was engaged in writing Buddhist thangkas, sculpture, wood carving, and weaving carpets.
Dashi Namdakov began his creative career in the workshop of the Buryat sculptor G. G. Vasiliev in the city of Ulan-Ude. Graduated from the Krasnoyarsk State Art Institute.
After graduating from the institute in 1992, he returned to Ulan-Ude, where he continued his work, opening a small jewelry workshop, where he made sculptural items stylized as finds from ancient burial mounds.
In 2000, his first personal exhibition took place in Irkutsk, which made him famous. Afterwards, dozens of exhibitions took place around the world: from Tokyo and Beijing, to New York and Los Angeles. Dashi exhibited works in museums such as the State Hermitage (Russia), Beijing Museum of World Art (PRC), in galleries - Halcyon (UK), National Arts Club (USA), and took part in government projects - Russian National Exhibition (France) .
Today, Dasha Namdakov’s works are stored in 25 countries around the world. And sculptures by him are in the private collections of Russian President Vladimir Putin, ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, businessman Roman Abramovich, as well as in private collections of collectors in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, the USA, and Taiwan. Thus, Namdakov’s works include Gerhard Schröder, country music star Willie Nelson, and actress Uma Thurman.
On April 14, 2012, his original monumental sculpture of Genghis Khan was installed in London.
In 2003, the master was awarded a silver medal of the Russian Academy of Arts.
In 2007, Dashi Namdakov acted as an artist for the film “Mongol” directed by Sergei Bodrov, for which he received the “Nika” award “for the best work of an artist” and the “White Elephant” award from the Guild of Film Critics of Russia.
Namdakov is a laureate of the Russian Government Prize in the field of culture.
Famous people about Dashi Namdakov:
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation:“Any exhibition of Dasha is a great holiday for those who love and know his work. This is a bright representative of Russian culture, which is rich in all our diversity. And it’s great that he brings his art abroad and pleases our viewers.”
Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation:“A rare talent. We need to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enjoy his work, his magic.”
Irina Khakamada, political and public figure:“Dashi, I think this is such an Asian Dali, because this is a challenge, this is crazy energy, a huge knowledge of his own ethnic roots, but processing in modern Western values. He is a unique artist..."
Sergei Bodrov, film director of the film “Mongol”:“Dashi is a unique person with unique abilities. Therefore, he contributed much more to the picture than an ordinary artist. He contributed his knowledge of a culture that is completely unknown. He guessed the style very accurately. He is practically a co-author of our film. Without him the picture would have been worse. Dashi is our artist. He is a famous sculptor. He knows it all, feels everything, he’s an amazingly talented person.”
A selection of TOP news about Dashi Namdakov from BMK news agency:
1) : At the “Soul of Asia” exhibition, graphic sketches of the “Altargana” sculpture, which is planned to be installed in the center of Ulan-Ude, were presented.
with the world-famous Buryat artist Zorigto Dorzhiev
sketch of the sculpture "Altargana"
2) Dashi Namdakov was entrusted with the creative execution of a grandiose project launched by the Russian Geographical Society - according to the idea, in the park in one day it will be possible to learn about the history, culture and traditions of all Russian regions.
3): A new monumental work by the Buryat sculptor Dashi Namdakov will be installed on the island in the summer of 2017.
4) During the last meeting, issues of preserving the cultural heritage, traditions and original culture of the peoples of Russia were discussed. There was also talk about new projects of the Buryat sculptor and their support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
5) : Sculptures from different years, graphics and photographs, designer dolls will be presented, and at the opening there will be a meeting with the art critic of the “Creative Workshop of Dasha Namdakov” Nadezhda Komarova, who will talk about the master’s work, about the artist’s latest projects, in particular about the exhibition of designer dolls of the Namdakov family "Ulger", which is currently taking place in Beijing, at the Millennium Art Museum.
« One day my spiritual teacher told me: “Dashi, all your talent is the merit of your ancestors, in whom the power that shot through you accumulated throughout all generations.” Then I really liked these words, and I realized that I was just a tool. Since then I have never been arrogant, and I have never been dizzy with success.“- says Dashi Namdakov himself about his artistic gift.
Film presentation about the work of Dasha Namdakov:
Dashi Namdakov - an amazing sculptor and our contemporary
Total 54 photos
What was it worth, at one time, at least, the exhibition, which simply “blew my brain”) and released a lot of unconscious and deep archetypal experiences and emotions from contact with the exquisite masterpieces of Thracian jewelry art. So it is here - it seems like an exhibition is an exhibition, but when I accidentally saw its announcement, something unconscious instantly formed into a firm belief that I had to go immediately. I usually listen to such spontaneous messages from my unconscious, because I already know well that if I catch such a message right away and follow it without thinking, I will definitely receive something important for myself and my reverent knowledge of this World. This is what happened at this exhibition...
The only thing that should be said is that the Exhibition “Nomad. Between Heaven and Earth" is a bizarre mixture of two exhibitions - it displays exhibits from the Historical Museum, covering the theme of the ancient cultures of the Eurasian steppes and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the museum’s department of archaeological monuments and intertwined with it is the personal exhibition of Dasha Namdakov, who presented at this, without exaggeration , a high-status and substantial exhibition platform, will have its own personal exhibition of sculpture, graphics and jewelry.
It should immediately be noted that, although logical, it is still a strange way of displaying the exhibition as a whole. The sculpture of Dashi Namdakov is exhibited both at the exhibition itself and is partially scattered in five halls of the Historical Museum of the Archeology Department on the first floor. “Nomad” is held in a separate new exhibition hall with an entrance through an isolated entrance and in order to see all the sculptures of Dasha Namdakov you will have to take another ticket to visit the main exhibition of the museum. A rather discouraging decision, but then I realized what the matter was - the exhibition of exhibits from the Historical Museum itself is compact and not large, and against the backdrop of Dasha’s wonderful and large-scale works it would look a little small...
02.
When you enter the hall of the exhibition “Nomad. Between Heaven and Earth” - you see mainly only sculptures by Dasha Namdakov and you may be slightly surprised by this external image of the exhibition, especially if you came to examine only ancient artifacts from the museum’s collection. However, I will dedicate, and therefore let’s now touch on the work of this amazing and, as it turned out, artist close to me in spirit.
The Asian theme in contemporary art is not new, but not in relation to Dasha Namdakov. Summarizing the photo material after the exhibition, I could not figure out for myself how I could write about this amazing sculpture and this artist, who do not fit into any of the usual accepted styles. At first, I hastily classified Dashi as a surrealist, labeling him the Buryat Dali, but everything turned out to be not so simple. Remembering my impressions of each of his works and looking again and again at the photographs taken from the exhibition, I could not get rid of the feeling that all the characters who basically underwent bizarre transformations and transmutations in the imagination and creative process of this artist exist and live, at least somewhere and in other dimensions and worlds, but in reality. This unusual discovery prompted me to try to get to know this man better and delve into his biography, and then a lot of things became clear to me.
It turned out that he was from an ancient family of darkhans - a caste of blacksmiths-jewelers, craftsmen working with fire - the divine element, a symbol of chosenness. The Darkhans possessed the highest knowledge, which was passed on from generation to generation. They were responsible for the world in which they or. Dasha's father revealed to him this fantastic and subtle world of the Steppe, the Sayan Mountains, the amazing and mysterious Baikal, the versatility of his craft, which is completely filled with the world of spirits, feelings and the immediate joy of creativity.
Dasha’s creations come from the visible embodiment of his special worldview, preserving the deep infinity of existence, archaic Scythian images, where cultures and events of the past do not disappear without a trace, but continue to simultaneously interact with us and retain their significance and messages. The spirit of his land, the power of nature in which he grew up, lives in his sculptures. They contain a deep secret that not everyone can unravel, but it is impossible not to feel their energy and beauty.
I was even at a loss where to start examining the exhibits - from “The Nomad” or from Dasha’s works, but then everything somehow calmed down by itself, and with an unusual feeling of excitement and sincere curiosity I looked at both the ancient steppe artifacts and the artist’s graphics and sculptures .
Having gotten used to it, at a certain moment, I began to feel the descending, enchanting haze of the Steppe. It became calm, measured, the Steppe inexorably penetrated into all particles of my soul. For some time I just stood and enjoyed the almost real feeling of being among these endless expanses... The photo of panels of the Buryat steppes, thick crimson sunsets, peacefully grazing horses and nomads on their mighty horses rearing up also contributes to entering into the context. These are stills from the film "Mongol", where Dashi acted as the main production designer, including, of course, costume design. And large semicircular panoramic photo panels are built like a stylized nomad’s yurt. Discreet audio accompaniment adds to the overall background disturbing and at the same time harmonious musical sounds and the characteristic throaty sacred singing of shamans and the rhythmic sounds of their tambourines... The steppe was approaching, and I dissolved in it...
I will note in advance one significant and slightly sad fact - the lighting at the exhibition, as always, is, to put it mildly, restrained, sculptures and jewelry are in soft darkness, everything is mysterious, in general - between heaven and earth...) But to take a high-quality photo in such conditions, yes Even without a flash and a tripod it is extremely difficult, and therefore do not blame me for some graininess of the shooting objects and distorted broken light of the background, especially for small jewelry.
The overall composition of the exhibition is well designed. At first I thought that there was quite a lot of free space here, but then I understood the intention of the author of the exhibition - it was necessary to show these steppe expanses and give a feeling of immersion in their wonderful, bewitching context.
The central place in this sculptural composition is occupied by the amazing stylized figure of a naked nomadic maiden with her hands folded on her chest like the steppe Polovtsian women, who were once abundantly placed by the ancestors of the nomads across the expanses of the Eurasian steppes. She touchingly holds a small bird in her hands and looks at it with love.
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The unusual reddish-ocher patinated color of bronze evokes a slightly mesmerizing feeling from the sculpture. It's called "Madonna with a Bird". 2011 The image of a Buryat nomad - a careful guardian embodying the fragile beauty of eternal life and the piercing essence of the impulses of the steppe soul of her people.
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At the very entrance to the exhibition there is a sculpture “Amazon” made of blackened bronze. 2010 Before us is a bust-length portrait of a beautiful woman, on whose head is a helmet in the shape of the head of a grinning panther. This is an exalted image of Queen Tomiris, the leader of the warlike nomadic Sakas who lived in the 4th-5th centuries in the Kazakh and Ural steppes, under whose leadership the scattered nomadic tribes first united into a single state.
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She became famous for her military exploits and cunning strategy, which allowed her to defeat the powerful Persian king Cyrus. Surely the Greek myths about the Amazons have their roots in eyewitness accounts of their battles with the warriors of this beautiful and spiritual queen.
Minotaur. 2010 An unusual, mysterious, exciting sculpture of a bull with a third eye in its forehead. The mythological image of the Minotaur echoes Dasha Namdakov’s bull-progenitor from Buryat legends, which carries the power of the first ancestors and a powerful epic sound.
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According to ancient legend, the image of a bull is associated with the theme of the arrival of spring and fertility. The spring ceremony to honor him is similar to the procession of the Apis bull in ancient Egypt, which expressed hope for a good harvest. In addition, according to the beliefs of many peoples, this powerful sacred animal drives out any evil spirits.
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The bull-totem is an archetypal motif for human culture as a whole, and its image is based on a compositional allusion to Paleolithic images from the Altamira cave, the oldest monument of fine art.
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The mythical bull Bukha-Noyon, the totemic ancestor of the Buryat tribes Bulagats and Ekhirits, in ancient legends appears as the personification of the strength of the good Western Tengris, embodied in the gray bull, fighting with the motley bull, the product of the evil forces of the Eastern Tengris.
Tengri - the cult of Heaven of the Turkic tribes.
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In the works of Dasha Namdakov there are many zoomorphic motifs of a mythical nature. “Tsarina” 2001 is also associated with the art of the Ancient East. A panther or lioness, with an elongated, elastic body, full of power and feline grace, with prominent muscles under smooth skin, is the embodiment of regal greatness.
The animal’s head turned to the front is reminiscent of zoomorphic images of ancient Iran or paintings of oriental antique ceramics of the 7th century. BC The majestic calm of the entire figure and the frozen moment of expression of her muzzle come into unexpected contrast with the position of the tail, which, like a whip whistling in the air, soars over the powerful body, thereby introducing into the image a hint of formidable and swift strength.
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It is in this place that it is also appropriate to talk about the famous “Keeper” (2003), which was donated to the Historical Museum by Dashi Namdakov and will precede (guard) the halls of the ancient history of the museum. This image is certainly inspired by mythological fantasy images of the culture of the Ancient East and the European Middle Ages, personifying terrifying protection. The first thing that comes to mind for some reason is that this is the warlike and slightly demonic hypostasis of the she-wolf who suckled Remus and Romulus, who founded Rome.
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The sculpture of the “Keeper” is placed in the corner next to the arch in front of the Sarmatian hall and is a little lost in this place, but the power, the archetypal strength of this creature guarding its home is large-scale and irresistible. The sculpture exudes an unbridled, frantic animal force that pierces space and time. You definitely need to see it in person!...
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“Mode’s Horse” (2004) Dashi is associated with a beautiful legend about the favorite war horse of Khan Mode (234-179), the founder of the Xiongnu empire, for whom the horse was a dear friend and comrade-in-arms. This horse fell as a sacrifice in the khan’s achievement of power and as an example of the unquestioning submission of his warriors: Mode shot his first arrow at his beloved horse. Those warriors who did not follow his example, considering it unreasonable to destroy such a magnificent animal, were immediately executed by the khan. Mode aimed his second arrow at his beloved wife. And the warriors who did not dare to repeat his actions were also executed. When, during a hunt, the khan aimed his shot at his father, with whom Mode was fighting for power, all the warriors without hesitation fired their arrows at the old khan. This concept of unquestioning obedience to the will of the military leader was the basis of the ideology of all warlike Eurasian nomads and therefore also applied to the history of the era of Genghis Khan.
The master deliberately emphasizes in this exhibit the antiquity of the image of the legendary horse, imitating greenish traces of copper oxidation and highlighting his broken limbs... Even with a torn bridle and broken legs, he is nevertheless beautiful, majestic and full of meaning, like an authentic object of admiration, surprise and careful preservation.
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The theme of the rider and his horse can rightfully be called the leitmotif of Dasha Namdakov’s work. The most striking decisions and professional achievements of the artist are associated with it.
"Element". 1999 This early sculpture by Dasha Namdakov is made in a conventionally realistic manner and reveals the image of the air element as one of the cosmogonic elements. In the author's mind, she is associated with the figure of a horse flying at a rapid gallop.
The composition of the work fully corresponds to the chosen topic. The animal is spread out in a horizontal plane, the head is stretched forward as much as possible, the ears are pressed back, the mane is thrown to the side by the oncoming wind. The muscles are tense to the limit and with their relief they create the main plastic pattern of the body.
This sculpture, according to some information, is in the personal collection of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Centaur with a stone." 2009 The image of Centaur Dasha retains violent primitive energy, but is endowed with vivid feelings and original fantastic attributes. Before us is a new world created by the artist’s imagination. His Centaur with a stone is a rebel whose main weapons are righteous rage, the power of resistance to attacks on his independence and self-esteem.
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It is unusual to see this dynamic mythological sculpture separated from the main composition of the exhibition, especially against the backdrop of ). However, this and many other sculptures of Dasha are of considerable size and definitely beg to be placed in large spacious halls, which is what the authors of the exhibition did.
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"General." 2010 A character from the ancient history of nomadic tribes, this warrior is dressed in a stylized national costume, endowed with weapons and attributes of power. He is real, but lives in our world like an alien from the past.
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Squat figures, mask-like ascetic faces, emitting powerful energy of transformation - these are the representatives of the extensive gallery of warriors of Dashi Namdakov. At the same time, the artist makes the viewer feel the connection between this hero and Don Quixote, creating the necessary associations with a few masterfully executed strokes.
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"Rider". 2000 The favorite motif of battle or hunting an animal, when the rider sees the target and is ready to hit it, allows the sculptor in this work to demonstrate the most striking features of his plastic talent.
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Dasha Namdakov’s author’s style is marked by the desire to accurately convey the characteristic “ethnic” nuances of the character’s plasticity.
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"The Rich Bride", 1998. The plot of the sculptural composition “The Rich Bride” is borrowed from the traditional life of nomads. The young steppe woman, turning her head, clearly pleased with her dowry, looks at her chest, attached to the croup of a small stocky horse in anticipation of her groom. Sensing the mood of the mistress, the horse dances as it goes, raising its head to the sky.
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The emotional unity of man and nature is in perfect harmony and anticipation of a new happy life.
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"Warrior with a Falcon" 2010 This brutal character also guards the Sarmatian hall in the general exhibition of the museum. The falcon, used in traditional Mongolian hunting and combat, poised on its owner's hand in tense anticipation of its swift and deadly flight.
Historians believe that at least sixty thousand people took part in Mongol falconry. This bright ceremony served as a demonstration of the combat readiness and strength of the army.
Here in the next room sits the “Great Champion”. 2001
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Some more from the main exhibition.
"Steppe Nefertiti" 2001 Ancient civilizations left us a rich cultural heritage. The Egyptian queen Nefertiti still remains the generally accepted ideal of female beauty. The exquisite stylization of this image, skillfully executed by the artist, gives birth to a new beautiful standard of Mongolian femininity, grace and tenderness. The bronze sculptural portrait seems to be the embodiment of harmony, in which female plasticity is combined with the charming angularity of youth, the geometry of ovals and smooth lines - with the cone shape of a long neck and a triangle of the face.
The stamp of reflection and hidden feeling hidden in the closed eyes of the elongated cut gives this image the character of mystery and reveals the magic of oriental beauty.
"Scull". 2005 Silver. The skull occupies a special place in the culture of nomads, and especially in shamanism as a belief in the spirits of ancestors - it is in the skull that the seat of their spirit is located. This stylized skull harmoniously coexists in the same display case with the skull of a bear, which was used by shamans during sacred rituals.
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"Horseman with an axe." From the series "Warriors".
"Warrior with a Saber" 2002 From the series "Warriors".
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Using the example of these graphic works, one can imagine how the characters of Dasha Namdakov were gradually born and how they found their embodiment in bronze.
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Dashi Namdakov also works with jewelry. There are not many of them at the exhibition - only one stand, which is located next to a stand with similar ancient jewelry. Let's take a closer look at his works, inspired by archaeological finds of ancient nomadic jewelry.
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"Arsalan". 2004 Gold, casting, chasing, stones. Arsalan - “Lion” in Buryat.
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Well, what can I say!? The exhibition was amazing! And this is probably not the right word to try to convey my multifaceted feelings. It was as if I had penetrated the dimensions of space and time, looking out of the corner of my eye into the inner world of this wonderful artist, sculptor, graphic artist, jeweler, and, undoubtedly, initiate and magician.
The whirlpool of images of Dasha Namdakov captured me, so much so that to this day his characters, his heroes, his shadows, his warriors, his ancestors, his symbolic and mythological characters, clothed with a fantastic reality and amazing living plastic. I can only wish you to be at this exhibition and “live” to experience this wonderful phenomenon and the abyss of the archetypal and phantasmagoric worlds of the Master.
In conclusion, there is some information and links about Dashi Namdakov himself, which did not fit into the fabric of my story in LiveJournal. It must be said that in fact the Master has a lot of works and it’s still worth delving into the Internet to better imagine his work:
Official website of Dasha Namdakov. A good and quality resource. Very worthy photographs and a high rich art history text accompanying both the main introductory article about Dashi Namdakov and his fantastic works.
Cast sculptures from Dasha Namdakov. A wonderful detailed essay about the artist, his childhood, formation, studies, teacher, successes and the Path of the Master. There are also many photos of his sculptural works collected here.
Dashi Namdakov - a man who created himself - About Dashi Namdakov, and here is a list of the artist’s personal exhibitions. By the way, the exhibition “Nomad. Between Heaven and Earth” in the State Historical Museum is the 50th in a row, which is also a kind of anniversary of Dasha and a significant and significant gift for him.
Dashi Namdakov - Sculptor with the soul of a nomad. A wonderful selection of works on LiveInternet based on materials from his official website, but nevertheless, the author did everything very richly and successfully.