Odonchimeg Davaadorj, Symbol Eaters, 2018-2020, Ink on Paper, 65cm x 50cm.
The horse is a recurring subject and significant symbol in Davaadorj’s works. Born in the year of the horse (1990), Davadorj was told from an early age that those born of this auspicious sign would be destined to go far in life. The horse is highly revered in Mongolian culture, a source of joy and pride, and significant for those that partake in the nomadic way of life. There is a popular saying that compares “someone without a horse is like a bird without the wings". Davaadorj describes how when she first arrived in the EU, she felt like a horse that had traveled far from home, filled with pride, hope and internal disorientation.