Contemporary artists play an important role in how cultures continue to evolve. They draw from inherited traditions, respond to the present, and create work that becomes part of a country’s cultural record. Mongolia is no exception. While many visitors associate Mongolian culture with its history, contemporary artists continue to reinterpret that history through painting, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, and printmaking.
The Avdar Artist Residency was established to support that ongoing creative practice. Developed in partnership with the Arts Council of Mongolia, the residency brings artists to Three Camel Lodge in the Gobi Desert, where they spend several weeks creating new work while sharing their process with guests through workshops and conversations.
Residency Highlights: Avdar at Three Camel Lodge
- Cultural Partnership: Created in collaboration with the Arts Council of Mongolia to foster contemporary fine art in the Gobi.
- Interactive Workshops: Guests participate directly in creative sessions covering felt-making, cyanotype, monotype printing, and painting.
- Inspired by Heritage: Named after the avdar, the traditional painted wooden chest found in nomadic homes.
- Exhibition Tour: Works created in the desert are first displayed at Three Camel Lodge before traveling to the Red Ger Gallery in Ulaanbaatar.
Contemporary Art and Cultural Continuity
Art in Mongolia has long been part of everyday life. The residency takes its name from the traditional avdar, the painted wooden chest found in nomadic homes. Built for a practical purpose, an avdar was also an expression of craftsmanship, carrying decorative motifs and family significance that reflected the people who owned it.
The name reflects the spirit of the residency. Contemporary artists continue to build on Mongolia’s artistic traditions, not by reproducing historic forms, but by interpreting them through their own experiences. Their work becomes part of the same continuum, adding new perspectives to a cultural tradition that has never stood still.
The residency provides the time and setting for that work to develop. Artists spend several weeks living and working in the Gobi, developing new projects while inviting guests into the creative process through workshops and informal discussion. Rather than encountering finished works in a gallery, visitors gain insight into how ideas are researched, refined, and translated into art.
Explore Cultural Craftsmanship: Discover how traditional art and architecture come together at our eco-lodge.
The 2026 Artists in Residence
The inaugural residency brings together five artists working across different disciplines, each exploring Mongolia’s cultural landscape through a distinct artistic practice.
- B. Tserendejid explores themes of ritual and spirituality through watercolor, ceramics, and textile-based installations. Drawing on Mongolian shamanic traditions and Buddhist philosophy, her work considers the relationship between people, belief, and the natural world. During the residency, she is creating new installations inspired by the Gobi while introducing guests to monotype printmaking.
- T. Soyol-Erdene approaches painting as an exploration of time and perception. Her work uses color to examine memory, transformation, and the relationship between past and present. While in residence, she is developing a new body of paintings and inviting guests to engage with her creative process through workshops.
- Kh. Suren works primarily in printmaking, combining techniques such as etching, linocut, screen printing, and cyanotype. Her residency contributes to Anchored Lines, an upcoming exhibition that explores movement and place, while her workshops introduce guests to cyanotype using materials prepared specifically for the program.
- M. Erdenebayar draws on symbols that have long shaped Mongolia’s visual culture, particularly the horse as an expression of identity, memory, and protection. His residency focuses on a new series, Symbols of the Steppe, while his lectures examine the artistic traditions embedded in everyday Mongolian life, from painted chests to folk rituals.
- B. Bayanduuren has spent decades expanding the role of felt within contemporary art. Building on a career that spans tapestry, embroidery, and painting, he now works exclusively with felt, creating pieces that connect traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic expression. His residency includes workshops that introduce guests to felt-making while he develops a collection inspired by the Gobi.
2026 Resident Artists at a Glance
| Artist | Primary Medium | Residency Project Focus | Guest Workshop Activity |
| B. Tserendejid | Watercolor, Ceramics & Textiles | Gobi-inspired spiritual installations | Monotype printmaking |
| T. Soyol-Erdene | Painting | Color, memory, and perception series | Creative painting workshops |
| Kh. Suren | Multi-technique Printmaking | Anchored Lines exhibition project | Custom cyanotype printing |
| M. Erdenebayar | Painting & Visual Symbols | Symbols of the Steppe horse series | Lectures on folk art & symbolism |
| B. Bayanduuren | Contemporary Felt Fine Art | Gobi-inspired felt art collection | Traditional & modern felt-making |
A Living Practice: From the Gobi to Ulaanbaatar
The residency concludes with an exhibition at Three Camel Lodge before the collection travels to Red Ger Gallery in Ulaanbaatar.
The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to see the completed works, but it also reflects something larger. Every painting, sculpture, textile, or print begins as an idea shaped by observation, research, and time. The residency creates room for that process while making it visible to the people who experience it.
For guests, the experience offers a different perspective on Mongolia. Contemporary art becomes another way of understanding the country, not as a collection of traditions preserved unchanged, but as a culture that continues to be interpreted by the artists working within it today.
Preserving Living Culture: Learn more about how Three Camel Lodge collaborates with regional partners.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Avdar Artist Residency
What is the Avdar Artist Residency at Three Camel Lodge?
The Avdar Artist Residency is an arts initiative created by Three Camel Lodge in partnership with the Arts Council of Mongolia. It brings contemporary Mongolian artists to the Gobi Desert for multi-week residencies to create new work and host interactive workshops for lodge guests.
How can guests interact with the resident artists?
Guests at Three Camel Lodge can attend hands-on workshops led by the resident artists, such as felt-making, cyanotype printmaking, and painting, as well as attend lectures and informal conversations in the artists’ studio spaces.
What does “Avdar” mean?
An avdar is the traditional painted wooden chest found inside nomadic Mongolian gers. Historically used to store family treasures and everyday items, the avdar represents craftsmanship, family heritage, and functional art.
Where can visitors see the final artwork created during the residency?
The completed artworks are first displayed in a special exhibition at Three Camel Lodge in the Gobi Desert, after which the collection travels to the Red Ger Gallery in Ulaanbaatar for public viewing.
Experience Living Art in the Gobi Desert
Plan your stay at Three Camel Lodge to take part in our hands-on artist workshops and experience contemporary Mongolian culture firsthand. Reserve Your Gobi Expedition.
