ABSTRACT
As a nomadic culture that had a long history of felt-making, rug, and tapestry culture, crafts and crafters played a central role in Mongolia. Roles of artist and crafter became distinct in the production of Buddhist applique thangkas in later centuries. The artist, who designed and drew the outlines of the deities and the surroundings, was supported by one or several crafters, who then selected silk and textiles to cut the necessary shapes and stitch them onto the cotton surface. Numerous thangkas exhibit high levels of artistry and supreme skills of the designer and maker who teamed up in making these extraordinary, and often large, images. Due to repression of Buddhism in Mongolia, the tradition of thangkas is no longer practiced, yet it influences contemporary artists. With the aptly chosen medium of paper collage, Nandin-Erdene Budzagd is able to show the disfigured bodies, representing silent victims shipped overseas to become organ donors.
