Orkhon

The Orkhon River is 1124 km in length and flows through the eastern Khangai ranges of Mongolia. The scene depicted here is an actual site, the Red Falls (or Beautiful Falls) on the upper reaches of the river. These falls are revered by Mongolians, whose grassy plains do not contain many waterfalls. Since the introduction of democracy to Mongolia in 1990, the country has begun to develop economically, and the Mongolian people are extremely proud of their fertile land. While there are many Mongolian painters who prefer natural elements for their painting subjects, and create such works, the majority of these images are simple depictions of beautiful scenery. Tserennadmidin Tsegmed is one of the rare Mongolian artists who weaves into his works the animistic Mongolian view that people have a spiritual existence that can be seen in nature. At times he depicts these forms in lofty solemnity, at other times in strange and weird ways. According to the artist, he painted this work in order to depict 'the link between the power of nature and the tragedies, dreams, and joys of humanity.' (YY)