The Why Not Gallery is excited to be part of the Tbilisi Independent collective founded by Tbilisi-based contemporary art galleries and hosting its innaugural show at the No.9 Cork Street Frieze Gallery. The exhibition builds its narrative around two central pillars in the history of Georgian abstraction: Alexander Bandzeladze (1927–1992) and Tamuna Sirbiladze (1971–2016), and then brings the story into the present day with outstanding figurative works by contemporary artists. The result is an exhibition that offers a compelling insight into Georgian art and culture, and the emerging voices in the country amid rising political and social upheaval.
For its contribution, The Why Not Gallery put together a duo presentation by Gvantsa Jishkariani and Nata Varazi. The small viewing room of Gallery 3 has been turned into a mesmerising dreamscape, providing some solace from the harsh realities of everyday life. Gvantsa Jishkariani's monumental felt works and mosaics depict fantastical landscapes of shooting stars and melting pink waters, while Nata Varazi's surrealistic paintings create tornados of symbols and warmth of care. Marble mosaic butterflies and birds fly across the walls, bringing together these elements. This room offers a glimpse into the artists own universes, transporting visitors to a celestial dream world filled with beauty, mystery, care and heavenly absurdity.
Gvantsa Jishkariani's mosaics are an intriguing reflection on Georgia's cultural heritage. Inspired by the historical connotations of veneration and celebration associated with Christian art and Soviet heritage, she uses this medium to pay homage to her roots while infusing it with contemporary relevance.
Jishkariani started practising art through digital collages and the mosaics series often feels like an attempt to ascribing physicality to this imagery. One of her notable works features an image of a cat morphing into a flower, reminiscent of scenes from Net Art videos. This piece embodies similar fascination of creating diverse hybrids. Unintentionally, the works created in this technique seem to follow a cohesive storyline, complementing each other's narratives despite being created over several years. Each piece, while distinct, resonates with the others, emphasising the fluidity and versatility of collage, a medium where any combination is valid, and every piece of the puzzle perfectly fits each other.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, this image holds deep personal significance for Jishkariani, symbolizing the vulnerability and transience of life.
Nata Varazi’s visual language, so prominently evident in her work, was meticulously developed through tireless effort and an unwavering commitment to her craft. Varazi’s artistic perspective doesn’t aim to depict reality but instead crafts dreamlike compositions rooted in the fantastical and irrational. These surreal depictions capture moments of transition from the real to the unreal, often portraying recurring elements like windows or fragmented walls, illustrating the interconnection of multiple parallel realities. Symbolising this connection are transparent pieces of fabric fluttering in the wind, evoking a weightless, fluid quality that traverses and establishes semi-visible links between spaces. In her artworks, Nata’s deep interest in the art historical canon is evident, particularly the influences of the surrealist movement. She seamlessly fuses currently relevant themes with traditional forms of expression, creating a unique and compelling dialogue between the past and the present.