Letters from MongoliaApril 16–May 31, 2026

Amy Bouse
This batch of correspondence originates in snapshots captured in Ulaanbaatar, Kharkhorin and the marvelous expanse of land between these two cities. In 2025, I traveled to Mongolia on a study abroad program with the UC Berkeley Tang Center for Silk Road Studies. The landscape and acquired knowledge continue to register on me now that I am home. The majority of our trip was dedicated to scholarly pursuits, speaking with academic experts at monasteries, libraries, museums. In these spaces, I took notes by hand and captured images of moments to later revisit, usually something that spoke to a specific time and place.

I wanted to capture the local and the regional, how the history of the places formed its contemporary state. I focused on arrangements of objects for sale, handmade property boundaries, the life of pastoral nomads, and new construction in a large metropolis. Most of these scenes were in public spaces, often on the street and were captured from buses, vans or the sidewalk. When I return to these images, I am drawn back to memories of these distinct, intense days of inquiry and meld them with my current place of residence, Inglewood, California. There are striking similarities between these two areas: places that want to elevate their status and welcome visitors while maintaining their history.

Tire fence (ger district)
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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The International School in UB (Zhao Qiang)
2026
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
18 x 24 in

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Telling the bees (UB crane)
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Multiple insulation (Mongolian door)
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Red gate another ditch
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Street sales leaving Ulanbatar
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
18 x 24 in

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Gatehouse (I’m sorry absolutely not)
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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I’m not delivering anything to anyone (Kharkhorin camp ladder)
2026
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Firewood bundles and bright bottles
2025
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
18 x 24 in

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Blacker than blood bicycle (uprooted tree under armour UB)
2026
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Dizzy skates in the ger district (multi-fence)
2026
Ink, pastel and acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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Billyboards on Manchester/concrete garden outside ger district library
2026
Ink, pastel, acrylic on paper
24 x 18 in

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About the Artist

Amy Bouse

I live in Morningside Park and document stories of Inglewood spaces with photographs during my daily walks around the city. These photographs serve as inspiration and reference for my drawings. I am fascinated by objects placed by humans in public spaces that seem to have a history and narrative. These scenes indicate something about the people who live in the area. For example, I often record the phenomenon of leaving furniture outside for others to adopt. This mysterious, passive exchange of objects seems strangely intimate, yet extremely public. Since the pandemic began, I started to focus more on shared outdoor spaces such as parks and front yards. I think of these works as a personal handwritten correspondence about this particular time and place.

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