If asked, most people will only think of Genghis Khan and the spread of the Mongol Empire when asked about the history and culture of Mongolia. But the truth is that the art of the Mongol people is much more intricate and vibrant than most would assume.

For most of its history, the art of Mongolia was tied to a strong religious nature, either to native shaman practices or Buddhism. Traditional miniature paintings, bronze sculptures, and silk paintings known as thangkas would often depict the Wheel of Life or scenes from the life of Buddha. These styles of art were tied to the nomadic culture of the Mongols, who came into contact with other Asian cultures, receiving the transmission of Buddhism and new forms of art. This only increased with the rise of the chieftain Temujin, the unity of the Mongol tribes into an empire, and the spread of Mongolian might across Asia and Europe.

Following the collapse of the Mongol Empire and a period of Chinese rule, Mongolia gained its independence in the early twentieth century. This era led to a brief period of realism in Mongolian art, though it soon gave way to the school of Socialist Realism when the USSR came to power and a Communist government was installed in the capital of Ulan Bator. Religious art was suppressed in favor of portrayals of the heroic proletariat and Soviet triumphs. This, too, came to an end in the 1980s, as reforms by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev resulted in the Democratic Revolution in Mongolia.

In modern-day Mongolia, contemporary art draws on a number of historical influences, including its nomadic traditions and Soviet realism. The zurag style of painting has come into vogue, using traditional painting techniques to depict secular and nationalist themes rather than religious ones.

To get a better sense of present-day Mongolian art, consider the life and work of the painter Otgonbayar Ershuu--or, as he's popularly known, "OTGO." Ershuu grew up and studied art in Ulan Bator in the 1980s and 1990s, right around the time of the Democratic Revolution. It was out a sense of national pride that Ershuu decided to study the traditional Mongolian art of miniature painting. The canvases that Ershuu paints are filled with impressive detail, although his work fits modern Mongolia by moving away from a purely religious interpretation to a more secular and sensual perspective--in other words, art for the sake of Mongolia rather than for the sake of Mongolian traditions. In this way, Ershuu hopes to bring the history of his country alive to a thoroughly modern audience.

If you want to see more work by Otgonbayar Ershuu or Mongolian art in general, you can visit galleries around the world like the Mongolian National Art Gallery in Ulan Bator and the ZURAG Gallery in Berlin.

Image by S Pakhrin on Flickr