Artworks of Young Artist from Abkhazia Showcased in Tbilisi
On March 7, Tbilisi City Council building hosted an extraordinary exhibition of a 23-year-old artist from Abkhazia. The exhibition of the young Georgian artist was carried out by the Georgian Foundation, founded by Ioane Bagration-Mukhrani Prince of Georgia and his wife Kristine. The exposition displayed the artworks of a young artist as well as her handmade jewelry. Guests had an opportunity to purchase the items or donate money to the painter.
The person behind the artworks was born and raised in Abkhazia, and one day decided to move to Tbilisi and advance herself professionally. Her artworks can be distinguished from the first glance due to an unusual vision and master use of bright colors. She says she came to Tbilisi with the purpose to find inspiration and the capital of Georgia turned out to be the right place for her to develop professionally, since it “conveys a rich culture, old historic buildings and simultaneously is a very vibrant city.”
GEORGIA TODAY visited the exhibition and talked to both the organizer of the event and to the artist herself.
“Our foundation is aimed at supporting Georgian art and culture through promoting gifted artists,” Bidzina Kumsiashvili, Head of the Georgian Foundation told GEORGIA TODAY. “We assist them to introduce their art to the local as well as wider international society. This is the first event initiated by our foundation, yet we plan to carry out more projects in various directions. This particular event was organized within a short period of time. It is essential for the artist that we managed to satisfy her basic needs, provide her with necessary tools and materials for painting as well as to organize issues related to her future studies. We have been assisting her and covering her accommodation fee for 6 months already and we will try to support her until she firmly establishes herself,” Kumsiashvili added.
The young artist took part in DVV International, which organizes programs that contribute to the confidence-building process between youth in Abkhazia and Georgia by involving creative techniques and art methods. Within the frames of this program, participants live together for a while, discover each other’s cultures and get involved in various kinds of activities. There, she met Georgian youth who invited her to Tbilisi. The artist liked the environment and saw many opportunities to develop her career in the capital, so chose to move away from her home and family. “When we found out about her, she was already living in Tbilisi and trying to get used to the new environment on her own. Currently, she lives alone, while her family resides in Abkhazia,” the Georgian Foundation Head noted.
The exhibition was opened with Prince Bagrationi’s speech which promised to assist more Georgian artists in the future.
Kumsiashvili told us that the next charity event will feature Levan Tsutskhiridze, a painter and fresco artist who painted half of Sioni Cathedral and is the only living legendary representative of classical art in Georgia. “We want to make a short documentary film about his life and career in order to present the artist to wider society. The film will be screened in one month and his works will be displayed. The Georgian Foundation also plans to organize exhibitions of distinguished Georgian artists in Europe and in this way promote Georgian art,” he said.
The artist told us she has always studied hard, and when she came to Tbilisi, she met many good people who inspired her and helped her to “find herself.”
“It is quite hard to find the kind of people who will understand you and your inner state. In Tbilisi, I made friends and their support has served as a stimulus to me throughout this time,” she told us. “I’ve been painting since the age of three. As a student, I studied Graphic Design at the University in Abkhazia, but then I became interested in exploring Georgian art. I’m most impressed by Niko Pirosmani. Although in his artworks you can sense a childish and naïve nature, he masterfully managed to assemble composition. Even though he created paintings for pubs and cheap restaurants to earn a living, his art will endure centuries. In my art, I draw inspiration from my dreams and transfer to paper what I see. It seems to me that I’m a messenger who transmits certain information from space through my works. I think every person has a mission to fulfill in their life, including me. I think what I’m doing is important, even though some might not understand my art. I can’t say exactly in what style I paint, it is neither abstract nor psychedelic art; I would rather coin my works as of the mystical or fantasy genre.”
Lika Chigladze