10 facts about the sculptor Dashi Namdakov

The name “Dashi” in Buryat means “fortunate sun.”

Every generation of Namdakov's family includes masters and craftsmen. Dashi's father was a well-known Buryat artist. Namdakov himself believes that his relatives were hardworking people, capable of constantly learning new things.

As a child he listened to shamans' stories and Buddhist legends about the mythical spirits of nature instead of fairy tales. Later it was these stories that Dashi began to draw inspiration from: they became the leitmotif of his distinctive art and architecture.

Dashi worked as a jeweler for a long time. With the proceeds from selling jewelry he bought bronze and other materials for his sculptures.

Namdakov's first solo exhibition took place when he was 33 years old. The debut show was held in Irkutsk. Two years later the sculptor was invited to a group exhibition at the Central House of Artists (CDKh), and a year after that he held a solo exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Oriental Art, after which he began an international career.

His favorite sculpture is “The Royal Hunt” in the city of Kyzyl. The ancient history and mythology of the Tuva Republic inspired Dashi to create a striking and graceful sculptural group depicting a scene of the royal hunt.

He was the production designer for Sergei Bodrov Sr.'s film “Mongol.” To immerse themselves as fully as possible in the era of Genghis Khan, Namdakov and Bodrov traveled through the wild regions of Tibet. Bodrov considered Namdakov a full co-author of the film, since the artist brought his deep knowledge of the culture to it.
 
He created a design for a wedding palace in Kazan in the shape of a traditional Asian cast cauldron. The bowl-shaped building became a landmark of the capital of Tatarstan.

He left the metropolis for the taiga. For a long time Namdakov lived in Irkutsk, Moscow and London and traveled extensively around the world. But ultimately he returned to live in his native village Ukurik in Transbaikalia.

He opened a workshop and a park of wooden sculptures called “Tuzhi.” After returning to his native land, Namdakov founded a crafts park and began actively working with a material new to him — wood.