Talent the Common Denominator for Artists at Museum of Fine Arts
A group exhibition of famous Georgian painters recently opened at Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts on Pushkin Street. A picturesque exposition of 47 painters of different generations, with dissimilar views, working in diverse genres and having their own, very firmly individual artistic signature, the exhibition has been warmly received by Tbilisi’s art enthusiasts. The exhibition “Painter and Modernity” aims to show how it is possible to maintain national identity in art during an age of globalization.
The display, located on the second floor of the museum, showcases paintings and graphic works, done mainly in oil, though sometimes with a mixed technique. Here, visitors will see abstracts, still lives, landscapes and portraits from artists aged 30-85. As well as local artists, there are contributions from Kutaisi and IDPs from Abkhazia.
“The main criterion while selecting the artists was that the paintings should be painted within the last 2-3 years. We also aimed to show to the audience the dynamics - from generation to generation – of how Georgian art is developing. I dare say we have plenty of extremely talented painters and artists who are no less professional than painters of other countries,” Guram Tsertsvadze, painter, participant and organizer of the exposition told us.
At the exhibition, one can see pieces by experienced painters such as Radish Tordia, Givi Toidze, Dimitri Eristavi, Giorgi Tsereteli and others. It is hard to believe that painter Sergo Kenchadze, aged over 80, was doing compositions at a time when travel was extremely difficult and information was under tight control. Guram Tsertsvadze believes that the ability to do so stems from Georgia’s long painting traditions of frescoes. “This gives me the courage to say that we, Georgians, stand very close to the origins of the world cultural development,” he noted.
Many of the exhibited artists are famous and successful abroad, renowned in different parts of the world and occupy particular niches. From the younger generation, the pride of Georgian art’s future, Rusudan Petviashvili’s “Searching for Cosiness” is presented while even younger painters are also impressively represented, giving encouragement for the next generations of Georgian art.
It is hard to look at Givi Toidze’s breathtaking “Old Tbilisi” and not take some aesthetic pleasure depicting a golden color of the sunset. “Exhibitions are important parts of our cultural life. If culture dies, the country will not feel well. This exposition reveals new faces too. The young generation is always full of love and energy. I tell them: If you have a talent, you should be working incessantly. In the beginning, everybody has some influences but later, they will find their own way, their individual form of expression,” the celebrated painter told Georgia Today.
Lali Lomtadze is a painter best known for her 1970s works and had a personal exhibition twice in Paris. The picture “Summer Night” gives a photographic effect and thus, is really original: “In early times, such exhibitions were much more frequent. Therefore, I am really happy that this exhibition has taken place,” she commented.
Tiko Bakhtadze is a young Georgian painter who has participated in some group exhibitions in Azerbaijan, New York and Tbilisi. “Last year, in the group exhibition, together with other 9 young painters, I participated in the expo that aimed to paint the portrait of Georgian celebrities. I painted Nino Ananiashvili. As for this display, I represent the painting “San Marco” of Venice. There are more possibilities for our generation to travel, though I basically have a fantasy even without travelling,” said the talented youngster.
The event is organized by the National Creative Union of Georgian Painters, supported by the Cultural Events Center of Tbilisi City Hall and the City Assembly. The exposition titled “Painter and Modernity” will conclude on June 28 so there is still time to sample a vast array of impressive Georgian art.
Maka Lomadze