See, the idea had been to show you our friend Soyolmaa's cool new paintings before her exhibition closed, so that the masses of my readers who live in UB would be tempted to stampede on over. This idea was derailed by a three-day occultation, as Don would have it, of my building's internet service. "Now, Konchog, why didn't you just mosey on over to a local internet cafe?" Why, what a brilliant idea, and one I somehow conjured, but there was one little problem. That's right. Hand, foot, and mouth disease. Seems there's been a virulent outbreak of the very scary sounding (and yet somehow also quite amusing) coxsackievirus A16. While this gives me an excellent excuse to stay away from children, it has also forced the closure of many public venues where many people touch the same things with their hands, such as internet cafes (you can just keep the other examples to yourselves). Nonetheless, I did troop on over to Soyolmaa's exhibit and duly recorded the proceedings for those of you who don't necessarily live within walking distance of the gallery.
The Buddhist theme begins with my main man Rahula, one of the three main protector deities of Dzogchen, the highest teachings of the Nyingma lineage:
Elsewhere, Soyolmaa pursues her major artistic concern, female spirituality within Vajrayana Buddhism. Some are quite fierce, like this depiction of Vajrayogini...
...and how she might emanate from the imagined corpse of one practicing chöd:
I love this Sun Goddess, seemingly connected with Vajravarahi...
...and the meditator letting fly with Kurukulle, the embodiment of desireless desire (girl's in a vivid phase, no?):
Soyolmaa also imagines a wandering chödma...
...and a peaceful, female bodhisattva:
Finally, here's a very personal work, called "Deep Samadhi":
All of these and more were exhibited at the Union of Mongolian Artists Gallery, the same organization that had named Soyolmaa as the best female artist of 2007.
Those are great!
Sorry to hear about the outbreak. I'm glad the public health system is addressing it. It's a little scary that most cases come in Summer and Fall and they are presenting already.
Posted by: Leamur | May 14, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Love those paintings! To me, they really express the intensity, ferocity and unstoppable compassion of Vajrayana practices.
Posted by: Sangye | May 14, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Most excellent!
Very inspiring.
Posted by: Nick | May 14, 2008 at 07:11 PM
the paintings are great
Posted by: sammy squyres | May 15, 2008 at 06:32 AM
yes, beautiful art. Now let's put a voice of reason on the public health issue. True Hand Foot and Mouth disease is really a VERY BENIGN children's illness - My daughter had it along with the whole neighborhood when she was a toddler, and just is not an issue with adults. This assumes adulthood in my beloved brother, but I'll bet good bucks that you were exposed to it in childhood and well immune. Please read what New York State has to say. http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/hand_foot_mouth/fact_sheet.htm . Futher from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/non-polio_entero.htm
I think you're pretty safe, unless it's a different virus strain which is NOT HFM. Wash your hands....
Posted by: sisLaura | May 15, 2008 at 07:34 PM
Yeah but sis, it's funny to write about, especially when some joker names the bug "coxsackievirus A16". Hmm, maybe you're right that I can only claim physical adulthood...washing hands, soap and hot water, 15 seconds, promise.
Posted by: Konchog | May 15, 2008 at 09:29 PM
Konhog, I just LOVE her artwork. I'd wouldn't mind displaying any of these, especially Vajrayogini. I'd like the one of Rahula to place on my office door on Mondays.
Do you have more photos from the exhibit you can share?
Posted by: Zendette | May 16, 2008 at 09:24 AM
Laura, common, mild viruses are benign until they get too common, when they can begin mutating in a more severe direction. More cases can increase risk of the virus becoming more than mild. The upswing in reporting of EV71 in China has to do with increased awareness and reporting and may not represent an actual increase in prevalence (WHO), but it is important to identify and restrict possible transmission of even mild viral illnesses before too many people are exposed.
All I meant was, I'm glad to hear that Mongolia has something of a functioning public health system, since the former Soviet states' public health systems so notoriously fell completely apart in the 90's.
Posted by: Leamur | May 16, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Leamur and Bro: Living in isolated NH makes me at times unaware of the larger epidemiology of otherwise tame bugs, so thanks for the WHO update. Chicken pox can kill, we all know. And Bro: The tiny virus was isolated from some poor victim's poop in 1948 in Coxsackie NY, hence it's daunting name!
Posted by: sisLaura | May 17, 2008 at 05:33 AM
Great stuff! Something for everyone there.
I'm working on a medicine buddha right now and some modern looking bodhisattva faces. Well hope you stay foot and mouth free and clear.
Posted by: Tim Nelsen | May 17, 2008 at 10:19 PM