30 Apr 2020 | DAYAN Family

“I WORK IN AN UNDERGROUND MINE. I KNOW THE LIFE THERE; I HAVE TASTED IT WITH MY HEART. THEREFORE, I BELIEVE HOW I PORTRAY LIFE UNDERGROUND THROUGH MY ART IS VERY REALISTIC.”

Tugsbaatar Daramsuren, is a professional artist with a strong artistic sense. He sees the world, and people differently than others; always looking through his unique perspective to identify something special in even the most ordinary of things. He considers himself an average ordinary Mongolian man and a national miner-operator for the Material Handling Team of Dayan Contract Mining LLC. 

Many others may know him through his painted works, entitled, “One Day of Oyu Tolgoi”. Since the young age of five, impressively, Tugsbaatar has held several solo art exhibitions. He is currently one of Dayan’s proudest miners with a passion for mining, along with art exhibitions highlighting underground mining. An artist and miner, he delights in making his colleagues happy by painting portraits of them. When interviewed about combining his two passions, both as a professional miner and professional artist, he shared:“I was born in Erdenet city also known as Mine City of Mongolia. This helps explain that although I am an artist, the mining lifestyle is very close and part of me. I first joined Dayan to earn a steady income and to explore my desire to learn something new. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a really warm team. Their psychological and physical skills, as well as their ability to own the mining equipment, really amazed me and made me think, ‘I wish to work and grow like them I like my current job very much.One of the major reasons I love my job, is that I really believe in Oyu Tolgoi’s motto: Natural wealth to enduring value, knowledge and skill. When I arrived at site, I saw so many opportunities to influence myself and others. In addition to being able to fully provide and care for my family, there are many opportunities for self-improvement. As I continued my work at the mine, my plans for the future became more orderly, and my goals became clearer. My earlier, uneducated assumptions of mining were that I would enter into a black hole, grab a pickaxe, and start hitting at a rock wall. However, when I arrived the first day, I was incredibly shocked to see huge pieces of equipment, active mine development, prosperity and the high level of occupational safety. Moreover, as I became increasing more involved in this safety culture, I became more and more careful in all aspects of my life.As an artist, I paint many realistic paintings. 

In general, I like to draw in abstract arts, especially by playing with colors. After working at the Oyu Tolgoi site, I started painting portraits of fellow miners. For example, I am currently drawing fellow miner, Buyantugs. Although he was younger than me, he showed great kindness when I first got my job and he made me feel the love of a friend and the warmth of the community for the first time. 

This is why I respect him so much. Actually, I respect all the members of my team - they are all really great and yet they never behave egotistically. My crewmates are one of the main reasons why I like to come to work and do my job. I am also very grateful to Dayan Contract Mining and Oyu Tolgoi, for providing us with excellent working conditions. I am proud to work here. I believe working for Dayan has brought many positive things into my life.The first mining related painting I completed was, “One day at Oyu Tolgoi”. Mine life is very colorful. However, now I want to paint a picture illustrating the everyday life of the entire underground mine operation. I want to capture the goings on of underground mine life during a single day. Keeping in mind my preconceptions of mining before entering the industry, this painting will be an educational opportunity to tell a story to people who have little to no idea about underground mines. I hope to meet many of you in the future, and I also look forward to sharing many more of my beautiful works for your enjoyment.”