Sopho Kobidze, *Untitled*, 2022, oil on canvas

I was fortunate to visit the Tbilisi Independent exhibition recently at the Frieze 9 Cork Street gallery in London’s Mayfair. Showcasing artists represented by five young, female-run galleries all based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, the selling exhibition offered a fascinating look at Georgian art and culture.

Organised by Liza Zhvania, the co-founder of MAUDI, a multifunctional space for contemporary art in Tbilisi, the show’s four other female-run galleries were E.A Shared Space, Gallery 4710, The Why Not Gallery, and CH64 Gallery.

Comprising multi-disciplinary works, including paintings, works on paper, textiles, photography and sculpture from both established and emerging artists, the show was too expansive to describe in our 1-minute-read format. Here are just some of the artworks that really spoke to me.

Anuk Beluga, *Interesting Book*, (2023?), oil on canvas

Anuk Beluga (b. 1986, Georgia), whose work An Interesting Book (above) captivates at first glance, is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture of the Tbilisi State Art Academy with a bachelor’s degree in spatial design.

There is much more to this painting than inititally meets the eye, with fireflies and dragons crossing the evening threshold into the room as if spilling from the pages of the book. The angle of the composition, the huge kettle on the chair, and the atmosphere of a quiet, warm summer evening draws you in, with the girl’s own character unusually suggested through her feet which iform the focal point.

Sopho Kobidze, Traces of Fireflies, 2022, oil on canvas

Sopho Kobidze (b. 1987, Tbilisi, Georgia) is a graduate of the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and has been widely exhibited internationally, with several important exhibitions in Paris.

Depicting scenes at the cross-section of the real and the imaginary, she explores the perception of time, form, and formlessness. Her work transports to another dimension where time seems to stand still or run infinitesimally slow, giving a sense of relief, joy, and comfort. (See her work above and also at the top of the post).

Niniko Morbedadze, *We Love Animals* series, 2024, acrylic, india ink and pencil on paper

Niniko Morbedadze (b. 1957, Georgia), represented at the show by CH64 gallery, is graduate of the Tbilisi State Academy of Art and a prominent representative of the 1980s school of Georgian artists.

On the border of surrealism and magical realism, Morbedadze’s work explores seeing and interpreting the world from different perspectives. She describes her creative process as driven by the subconscious, with her hand as a conduit that creates beyond her conscious self.

The exhibition has concluded but select works are still available. If you would like to know more about the artists, please contact the organiser, Liza Zhvania (lizazzhvania@gmail.com).

From Georgia, with Talent