Sculpture & a Love of Life

Erekle Tsuladze is a young sculptor who has already done a lot in his creative life. He believes that a human being is a very weak creature and therefore considers that even our professional choice is not our own to make and is more attributed to sub-consciousness and genes. If one looks at Erekle, one cannot guess what he is, as artists usually look…different…yet he is very neatly dressed, not accentuating his profession in any particular accessory or detail. He is an exceptionally interesting and multicolored personality who is keen on numerous spheres and hobbies. He justifies the saying that a talented person is talented at everything. Meet him below.

“When I was asked who I wanted to be in my childhood, I answered ‘football player’. However, my grandfather was an architect, and my father and uncle are both sculptors. So, it didn’t take me long to realize who I really wanted to be. I still play football. I don’t drink. I don’t make an artistic image of myself by growing a long beard or wearing a hat or worn out trousers. However, I like the bohemian lifestyle: parties, women, traveling, etc. This is my gusto of life. I’m 30 now. I thought I’d have a wife and children by this age, however, no-one ever knows”.

How do you explain art?

This word is a feature of you, as a human, which helps you fix your own inner world. It is less important if others understand it- it is simply a means of self-expression. Art reflects one’s own life experience. You put everything that bothers you and that makes you happy. It inspires me to create statues of characters from my imagination, making them real.

What inspires you?

Everything- even an odd insect sitting on a flower. I was educated and can technically work with various materials, yet the topics come to me from my everyday life.

There are artists who get inspired from different realms of art…

Me, too. I also write scripts and novels. The Ukrainian Young Actors’ Theater has staged one of them. Currently, I’m working on a novel titled “Arte”. I also dream of becoming a film director and I love cooking- people love the dishes I create!

Are you fond of traveling literally and figuratively?

Yes. I constantly travel inside myself and sometimes get lost in my own fantasies. I like this process. I’m fond of traveling in the direct sense of the word, too. I like the seaside and I dream of living in some exotic place for a while, fishing from a boat, lighting a fire on the beach… Lately, I’ve developed a passion for agronomy. I dream of arranging a paradise in my own yard.

How do you live life?

We’re alive today and that’s all we have. I think that life is interesting while we’re alive. We have no idea about the afterlife. Therefore, life should be full of events that are close to our own inner world. It doesn’t matter how, but one should express oneself. If I could, I’d write a song with great pleasure. I also make architectural projects. I aim to make a project for a maternity home shaped like an abdomen that breathes. I want it to be free of charge for everybody, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

Have your works been exhibited overseas?

Yes, in several foreign countries. In autumn, I’ll tour a few places outside Georgia.

What about fellow artists?

I’m on friendly terms with them. I don’t call them my competitors, as everyone has their own inner world. Some people like my creative works, some not, which is natural. I try my best. Generally speaking, sculpture is the youngest realm of art in Georgia. However, during this short space of time, Georgians have managed to leave their own signature in the history of sculpture, mainly in the 20th century, when a lot of important exhibits were created which already live in our world thanks to their individualism, sending significant messages for future generations. I’m happy that in such a small country as Georgia, I have compatriots who are world-famous. Apart from talent, Georgian artists are well-educated, too, assisted by genes and a long and deep history of art, which makes them unique.

Is it possible to be both commercial and a high-level artist?

Yes. If Michelangelo hadn’t worked to order, he wouldn’t have been able to survive. Who am I, after all? I also work if somebody calls me. However, it basically happens vice versa: I work and create whatever I feel like and then offer them to different companies. Everything is done for a reason. Sometimes, art serves an idea, sometimes money. I think the first is more common with me as I prefer to do it my way. I never started doing it to earn money. I was just working and enjoying. Money came to me itself.

What are you working on apart from your book?

A black puma who will occasionally find himself in a field of icy diamonds. He sits down on such a diamond that changes its colors. I made this effect by fixing a glass stand and sensorial illumination.

When will your next exhibition be?

I’ll exhibit my new works in Tbilisi first, as it’s my home town. Then I’ll visit Azerbaijan, Russia, the USA, etc. The date is not fixed yet.

By Maka Lomadze