White Christmas by White Studio
Clay culture is not a new thing for Georgia, but white clay is. And it is difficult to remain indifferent as you pass by White Studio on Janashia Street and get a glimpse of those marvelous hand-made ceramics. Hand-made things are not yet very appreciated in Georgia. Let us hope that they will soon become so, especially considering that the owners of the studio aim to be represented on the Georgian market with the national trademark and rival foreign brands. It makes one proud to be Georgian! And for Christmas they have surprises and special offers. Find out more below.
Aptly named, almost all the ceramic items contained within the gallery-studio are white. The owner, the tall and stylish Nato Eristavi, is a good-looking woman who will always welcome you and try to help you to make a good purchase of anything from 10 Gel to 500 (and more!). It is well worth a visit no matter what your budget, especially now with the Christmas display rich with unique treasures to tempt you. Everything is made in the studio itself, under the shop floor.
“We opened two years ago with professional ceramists. We work not only in Georgian porcelain but also in red clay and other materials that we import from Turkey,” says Nato Eristavi.
However, the white clay is their visiting card. “We named it White Studio because of it. No one else uses ‘Georgian porcelain’ – the name we gave to the mixed material that we receive after the processing of different Georgian materials. It is our own know-how. “
White Studio aims to develop and popularize ceramic art. Georgia used to have such tradition in Shrosha, Western Georgia, but in red clay. White clay is White Studio’s exclusive.
The gallery-studio features a wide selection of one-of-a-kind handmade items- from vases, teacups and wall plates to tree ornaments and bowls. “We also design the interiors of the houses, hotels, restaurants etc. We make everything that can be made from clay, even accessories for the bath-room.” One example that this author knows well is the Novella bookshop and café on Chavchavadze Ave.
Nato teaches students and hopes that awareness and love of ceramics will grow. “Georgians have always had taste, but the conditions were not right. Now, in our studio, special ceramic dyes are available, as well as special ovens. Therefore, I can tell you with joy that a new generation of ceramists is coming, some of whom are currently working with us."
White Studio has also written some projects that can serve to restore this particular school of art and Tbilisi has witnessed two ceramics fairs.
Nato Eristavi herself is an experienced ceramist and a lecturer who has had exhibitions around the globe, including in the US and Japan. Having attended symposiums abroad, Nato had a wish to prove that Georgians are also capable. Her White Studio was an experiment, a comparatively commercial start-up that has proved successful. However, due to the prices, the items are currently more popular with foreigners who, reportedly, often buy them wholesale.
The works are fulfilled to the highest level of western standards. White Studio aims to produce a high-level exclusive production, a mix of contemporary tendencies and their own aesthetics. The main emphases are made on traditional elements that turn these magic things into very beautiful souvenirs, when Georgian souvenirs overall are in poor condition. The exclusivity is guaranteed and if you head along to White Studio, you will be able to gift loved ones a quality Georgian national souvenir this festive season.
Wishing you an enjoyable White Christmas!
Maka Lomadze