Artist
Statement:
My works
mainly are the result of thinking and my own interpretation of life. When
idea appears, then I begin to think about best possible realization, whether
it should be in colors, or just white lines on dark background, and if
in colors, what color range is most appropriate to express the emotion
properly. When I already keep in mind all details I start painting. I
paint very quickly. My preferred technique is oil. But when painting linear
compositions I mainly use gouache.
I felt serious about drawing in the age of 11. Then I had only colored
pencils and drawed with them, but I imagined that I painted with oil.
Meanwhile my parents noticed than I had talent and bought gouache kit
for me. So I began to enjoy gouache painting. I painted figurative compositions,
portraits, still lifes, landscapes, interiors. But the real great occasion
was when I was given an oil kit on my 16 years birthday. I painted very
quickly and easily. My parents wanted me to attend some lessons but I
refused, I would not stand someone’s interruption into my creative
process. I’ve always been extremely independent in this sense. Soon
I got canvas and from that time my era of color symphonies began.
My aim was to create color symphony, without any philosophical load, only
vibrant strokes, everything should be in interaction and sometimes reflected
in each other. For these purposes I chose very simple subjects ( like
still life, portrait or landscape). That period lasted 1 year (1988).
Then I felt I needed something new, I had definite pause while thinking
and trying to find my new style. It dawned upon me when I was sitting
in lecture-hall and pretending that I listen to math lecturer, actually
I was in thoughts and my hand began to draw some linear composition with
human bodies interlaced, I looked at it and thought that it could be more
effective if in white lines on dark background. I liked this idea and
created several compositions in this style. While working at next in turn
composition I found myself dissatisfied with overburdening figures and
lines, I began to simplify the composition and it took me unusually long
time, but the result was: “Minimum of means and maximum of expression”.
I continued working this way. That period was characterized by laconism
of lines and substantive psychological and philosophical contents. The
most works in this style was created in 1993. It was very productive year
for me. Also I created color compositions.
1994-96 were the hardest years for me and my family, we were at the edge
of hunger. The situation in Georgia was awful. I created almost nothing
that years, I thought I would never be out of that depressive mood, I
didn’t want to paint, I didn’t want to live. If I even would
want to paint I could not, I didn’t have money to buy colors, cardboard
or canvas.
The revival finally came in 1997. I would determine the works of this
period as postdepressive.
I got the opportunity of international exposure only since 2003. I had
several exhibitions in Spain, USA, Italy and France in 2003 and 2004 years.
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