Hidden Gem Among Georgian Artists
By Mariam Chanishvili
Friday, December 8
Even though she does not enjoy the public fame, she is one of the most different and highly individualistic artists in Georgia. Elene Ramishvili, a painter and a designer, has her own style which drew our attention and intrigued us to get to know her and her work better.
Ramishvili didn’t show a particular talent as a child while painting and it took her many years to listen to her creative soul, and become a highly distinguished artist.
The moment of drastic change arrived when she was in her teens. Being a 9th grader in secondary school, Ramishvili traveled to Spain. . . The trip inspired her discovering a totally different world of Gaudi, Picasso, and Dali.
Nowadays, she works on paintings, modeling, sculptures, soutache braids, handmade hats and jewelry. She has also decorated several shoes using the soutache technique.
Through the soutache technique, the creativity and the fantasy can raise up to a high level, thanks to the shapes, colors, tricks and fun that the braids can support, it is possible to make earrings, necklaces, charms and everything the imagination arrives to think.
Recently, one of her handmade hats has been gifted to Bjork, during her visit to Georgia.
Elene Ramishvili has had several exhibitions in Tbilisi History Museum Karvalsa and the hotel Kopala, including the joint exhibition with an artist Maka Jdanova at Karvalsa in 2016. The exhibition was called “New Babylonians.” The exhibition extends an everlasting topic, according to which people constantly strive to create a new Babylon and lose the main path of their relationships.
Below, we provide the Messenger’s interview with an artist Elene Ramishvili:
- Your unique style allows you to merge Georgian traditional spirit and contemporary style, which is quite difficult. How do you manage to do that?
- All that I create, I create from my heart, and that’s where my roots are. It comes naturally. Each and every single of my artwork has its own name, for example, this one (showing a handmade bracelet created with soutache technique and later handmade earrings), this is Gustav and these earrings are called Frida. Each piece is individual; having its own story and emotions behind, this is why I name them.
- Because you have such a strong bond with your own artwork, does it cause any difficulties in giving them away or selling them?
- Not at all. I consider that every single artwork is created to bring pleasure to the creator during the process and later the item should bring happiness to its owner, whoever that may be.
- Have you collaborated with other artists?
- Yes I have. But it is very hard to find the right kind of artist for collaboration. I have had joint exhibitions with Maka Jdanova and we work a lot together, because we understand each other. Maka and I have created a number of works as co-authors.
We are planning to have an exhibition at Sfumato Gallery in Tbilisi on May 19, 2018. You are all welcome there.
- We have noticed a lot of butterflies in your artwork – paintings, statues. Does it have a special meaning to you?
- Butterflies are very important for me. They symbolize transformation and in real life, everything needs to go through transformation.
- Have you ever tried to share your artwork internationally?
- Yes, thanks to my friends, some of my work is now in the US, Russia, Austria worn by different officials and their spouses. Temur Iakobashvili and Yana Fremer are my friends and they presented one of my handmade jewelry to the Austrian Princess.
- What gives you the inspiration to create nowadays?
- Most of the time, I think, when the God has given you the talent, you have to use it in a right way.
