OPEN UP

One-day Exhibition 'OPEN UP' at the Open Air Museum of Ethnography, Tbilisi.
First of June 2009, from 20:00 pm to 23:00 pm .
(painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, poster)

Participants:
Tamar Melikishvili, Murtaz Shvelidze, Sophia Cherkezishvili, Gia Loria, Maka Batiashvili, Oleg Timchenko, David Alexidze, Misha Shengelia, Kote Sulaberidze, Irina Abzhandadze, Niko Tsetskhladze, Natela Grigalashvili, Guram Tshibakhashvili, Liza Osephaishvili, Irina Kurmaeva, Thea Telia, Marina Ivanishvili, Mamuka Japharidze, Niko Lomashvili, Zurab Nastsvlishvili, Erna Dolmazova , Levan Kakabadze, Nino Sekhniashvili , LIza Epitashvili, Gela Kintsurashvili, Regina Ter-Nersesian, Kakha Burduli, Giorgi Shotadze, Nino Mgaloblishvili and myself (geographically I'm far away, but my latest work will be presented there).
Curator of the exhibition: Alexandra (Matsatso) Gabunia

Nino Tskvitaia

I really accidentally bumped into Nino Tskvitaia's art blog. I was delighted to see that she had such an individual voice: drawings and photographs with a touch of sarcasm in her short posts. We had an interesting correspondence by mail, and she introduced me to her life and artistic education.

Nino Tskvitaia was born in 1983. She started painting and sewing from an early age. Her first art teacher, Tata Bakradze, recommended that she would focus on painting and in 2001 Nino was accepted to the painting department at the State University of Tbilisi. At the same time Nino studied foreign languages and had a job.
After her graduation she went to Bavaria, Germany, where studied German and went to evening classes of model drawing in Nürnberg Academy of Art (Akademie der Bildenden Künste). Soon after she came back to her hometown, where she continues to create her inspiring art.




In our correspondence I asked her some questions regarding her artistic line – here they are in the form of a short interview:

1. What is your primary medium? And how do you combine photography and drawing?
For me the drawing is the main medium and probably it will stay forever the main one. Drawing fills the empty spaces of my soul (each time when it needs to be filled), it makes me happy and excited and I can be depressed or despaired when there are no results. I also love photography; it’s another way of expression.

2. Do you base your portraits on photo reference or models, or is it from thought?
Actually I find the resources for inspiration in almost everything and everywhere. First of all people around me and secondly faces from the photos, especially from old photo shoots. As I am a big movie admirer, I find interesting portraits also in film screens, books and so on and so on.

3. If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you do it?
I would say “Hey you! Open up your eyes and see it, you are watching the pieces of one Georgian girl’s life.”
No, probably I would not say it to anybody, I would have it in my mind but say something very, very banal as usual…Maybe what I was feeling when drawing this or that portrait...
Strangers reaction and response is quite important for me.

4. When are you the most productive?
I am most productive probably when I am very busy. In addition I can be productive when I'm too tired, as Art is a cure.

5. Your message to Georgian female artists?
Firstly I can say to myself and then to all Georgian women artists to be more independent, courageous and creative to the maximum.

Maka Batiashvili/Three minutes through the veil dropped by Alexandra Gabunia

FLY AWAY by Sophia Cherkezishvili 2005©CAC

I was introduced first to Sophia Cherkezishvilis works through the Actual Art website. Sophos creations captured my attention and I immediately contacted Alexandra Gabunia from Actual Art and eventually got to Sophia, and posted her art on the Georgian Female Artist's blog.
Sophias diverse artwork is incredibly poetic and so I am very happy to share one of her most powerful videos "Fly Away". In addition, I conducted a short e-mail interview with Sopho to further enlighten us about herself and her art.



1. What was the working process on "Fly Away"? Can you run us through it from the planning of it till the editing?
First of all I had an image in my mind and just after while came the words, then the image in my mind started to move and it became like one painting which is moving and conveying all this text which is very important for me.

2. How do you balance between video, installation and painting?
Mostly I balance through the concept. For me it is much interesting to work in different forms and media, even though the process is so different.

3. How would you explain the message of your film?
"Fly away" is little story of a women, a story that has no end. The symbolic point was probably that every woman wears her own dress like her own destin, and it is the most beautiful dress.

4. How you would describe video art in Georgia and which tendencies are recognizable?
I can not answer this question. Personally I feel that if art is good, then it is good, if not…it's not, and it's the same in Georgia.

5. What has been inspiring for you lately?
Life, life and again life!