Gegee Ayurzana (1998) grew up in Mongolia and studied visual art and art history in the Netherlands. She draws inspiration for her paintings from art history, nature and Mongolian culture. The installation Ayurzana presents at Prospects is informed by the Mongolian perception of space. ‘In Mongolia, we have a completely different perception of space and landscape,’ she says. ‘Instead of seeing it as something that is outside of us, we see it as something we are one with, and in which everything is interconnected.’ Ayurzana evokes this experience in her presentation, which consists of paintings of various sizes, all connected to one another.
Ayurzana challenges the conventions of Western painting in several ways. For instance, she chooses supports other than the customary rectangle or square stretched canvas. Her works are also not presented solely hanging on the wall: some lean against it, while others drape downwards. They are not flat surfaces, but objects in the space. In doing so, Ayurzana blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture. Her experience of the landscape and the Mongolian perception of space are key sources of inspiration in this approach.
Ayurzana is strongly inspired by the raw drive for expression she recognizes in cave art created thousands of years ago. Unlike these ancient drawings, her own paintings are abstract. They convey the act of making itself: through the brushstrokes, the viewer can trace the artist’s movements. Like the shamans, who play an important role in Mongolian spirituality, Ayurzana sees herself as a mediator of elusive cosmic energies.
Text: Sarah van Binsbergen