Discovering the Creative Vision of Guela Patiashvili in a Short Interview at TAF

Guela Patiashvili

- Hello.

Could you please briefly introduce yourself and comment on your work?

- I am Guela, an artist. Painter. Sometimes sculpture also becomes a subject of my work. I work in several different directions. One of them, which is presented here, is the animal theme, specifically the theme of dogs. By the way, there are some of my sculptures installed in Tbilisi - three sculptures of stray dogs stand in the Red Park. Many people know me for this, as a dog painter or an "animalist," if we can call it that.

I was born in Tbilisi, then I lived in France for a long time. A few years ago, I moved back here to teach, and mostly my main projects shifted here as well. As for exhibition spaces, one was at the Tbilisi History Museum, the next one was at the Literature Museum, then at the National Gallery - these were my solo projects. And the most recent one was at the Venice Biennale, in the Georgian Pavilion.

-What medium do you work in?

-Speaking of technique, it's mixed media, often with oil pigments. But the characters themselves are always depicted in oil. Because I remain very loyal to oil paints, despite many new technologies and new materials.

-So, is it possible to see your works in Tbilisi as well?

- Yes, of course, it's possible. My studio is in Tbilisi, and right now I am mostly here.

There are exhibitions from time to time. At this very moment, there isn't an active exhibition,

but there will be one toward the end of the year.

- Mm-hmm.

- Great, we will be looking forward to it. Thank you very much!

Gela Patiashvili: Georgian Painter