Jaakhankhuu (Janna) Grisha

Mongolia

Year(s) attended: 2009, 2010, 2011

Hovsgol Park Cooperative

Painting

The artist Narantsetseg was instrumental in establishing the Hovsgol Park Cooperative in 2000 through funding from United States Aid for International Development (USAID). Before establishing the cooperative, artisans like Jaakhankuu worked individually in their homes and sought out markets on their own. Forming artisans into small groups enabled all to help each other improve production systems and access additional markets.

The cooperative specializes in making garments, felt boots, purses, and toy animals for children made from the felt scraps. Janna specializes in traditional painting. These often depict scenes from the daily lives of Mongolian nomadic herders. As more Mongolians move into the cities for work there is growing local demand for traditional folk art.