The exhibition features paintings by David Alexidze, Michael Arbolishvili and Mamuka Tkeshelashvili in oil, water colour and graphics. The paintings represent pieces from various periods in the artists’ professional life thus reflecting the colourfulness and diversity of painting in Georgia.

David Alexidzeis a professor of Tbilisi State Academy of Art, the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts. The beginnings of his artistic activities coincide with the complicated and tense political situation in Georgia in 1990s. In 1991 David Alexidze graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Art and engaged in searching new directions for expressing his creativity by attempting to avoid the Eastern influence characteristic to Georgian art. At first he painted in the vanguard style, however , his later paintings bear some influence of mysticism which the artist himself calls realism of mysticism and postmodernism  with the elements of mysticism. The artist’s current paintings are closer to the monochromatic style, however, they also contain emotional accents, for example, grandmother’s curtains which appear in several paintings. Since 1996 the painter has participated in 23 exhibitions and has had 8 solo exhibitions. His paintings can be found in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in USA, in the National Art Museum of Georgia, History Museum of Georgia and gallery Baia in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Mamuka Tkeshelashvilistarted to work as an artist in 1990s. At the time when many of the artist’s friends were on the barricades he had decided to continue to study painting, however the war taking place outside the Art academy window has had a powerful and emotional influence on his further work. Due to the political situation he had dreamed of moving to the West, however had quickly understood that the West did not offer the artistic growth he was looking for. Next to painting he has studied design. Currently he is also involved in editing book illustrations. The painter creates scenography for films and theatre performances. Every year the artist organizes exhibitions in art galleries in France. He characterizes his paintings as expressionistic and surreal – figurative art with “incompletely realistic atmosphere”.

Michael Arbolishvilicomes froma painters’ family therefore has been engaged in creating art since his childhood. He is certainly the person of his own opinions which is proved by his stormy years as a student when he had opposed to learning the foundations of painting classics. Although he hardly graduated from the Academy, he has now earned the recognition and respect of his former professors because he has managed to remain truthful to himself. Up to now he has been insisting on not being associated with a specific direction of art therefore he paints each of his paintings in a different style. The artist’s motto reads “my style is having no style”. Next to painting the artist has started putting down instant feelings and emotions which might be published someday. The artist has been participating in exhibitions since 1996. His paintings can be found in private collections both in Georgia and abroad.

The exhibition FROM TBILISI WITH LOVE is a gift of the Embassy of Georgia in Latvia to Riga during its culture presidency in Europe. The exhibition has been organized in co-operation with Riga City Council.

The exhibition is free of charge.

Publicity photo – Mamuka  Tkeshelashvili “Hunter”