Masterclass of Eclecticism at Vanda Gallery
The latest solo exhibition at Vanda Gallery is calling all those who wish to get acquainted with professional artist Gela Zautashvili, one always open to novelties and experiments and with a Major in eastern wisdom. Having lived in India for years, he is interested in the East and his work is characterized with an Oriental influence expressed in bright colors. Zautashvili’s exhibition ‘And Life Goes On’ was opened on April 5 at Vanda Art Gallery.
It is difficult not to notice that this is a painter who goes along with the subconscious flows of a person’s mind, resulting in the full savage desire for life. His colors remind me of those of Matisse and Gauguin. I have not seen many Georgian artists who are so unveiled and brave in terms of eroticism. Not only the exhibition itself, but also the catalogue of his works, which is also on sale, demonstrate his interpretation of Oriental motifs, where nudity and extremely bold sexual scenes are presented. These paintings are shocking for the Orthodox aesthetics and very exotic, too. However, in the exhibition itself you will not find such explicitness. Those who love painting will discover new color marriages – a masterclass of eclecticism, as well as a huge energetic charge.
The exhibition ‘And Life Goes On’ was opened in an original way, without any official speeches. Everyone was able to enjoy a glass of wine, the cozy interior, and pleasant atmosphere, adorned with live piano music. Here, a spectator can witness a wide range of titles for the works of abstraction, from ‘Prayer’ to ‘Libido’. In the catalogue, a variation on the masterpiece by Gustaf Klimt, named ‘Three Ages of Woman’, is worthy of note Gela Zautashvili’s version, depicting the similar theme, is titled ‘Merciless Time’.
“I entered into the Georgian Fine Arts as an abstractionist in the 1980s. Today’s exhibition features the work of the last three months. Buddhism and Hinduism came to my life during my student years. I dedicate this exhibition to the continuation of life, joy and kindness,” Gela Zautashvili told GEORGIA TODAY.
“My attitude towards this painter is special, because we are friends. I’ve written several articles about Gela Zautashvili’s works in the near past, therefore, I’m particularly aware of his recent creative work,” Keti Charkhalashvili, art historian, told GEORGIA TODAY. “His paintings are mainly figurative and depict concrete scenes, however, this time, we’ve been treated to abstractions, which is very important in the sense that it expresses the painter’s conception and attitude towards the world. These figures are as if modified into abstraction. The colors used in his works articulate his attitude towards life. The mere name of the exhibition ‘And Life Goes On’ is an exact description of these paintings.”
We talked to Sandro Mujiri, co-founder of the Gallery Vanda: “Two years ago, we hosted Gela Zautashvili’s third exhibition. This is his new series of abstractions. However, this is just a teaser of a bigger project that the painter is starting under the title ‘Footstep’ which will be exhibited at the end of the year. I’m very happy that Gela works so actively, representing one of the big names in the Georgian painting school. He used to live in India and is in love with Asia. There were some Hindu viewers at his previous exposition and they said that in his works, they saw real India.”
In spite of the inescapable realism that the mature painter acknowledges and takes with all its pros and cons, Zautashvili retains an optimistic view by saying ‘And Life Goes On’, which is quite topical, together with the arrival of spring. The exhibition will be on until Tuesday 12th April at Vanda Gallery, Chonkadze 14.
Maka Lomadze