Vakhtang Kokiashvili | Second Order

December 22, 2018 - February 23, 2019

Current show assembles three directions of works of a Georgian artist Vakhtang Kokiashvili: mythos, religion and ethnographic pop. Exhibition offers its visitors a showcase of different stages of artist’s development where mythological forms are transformed into effects of production and design. Horizontal display of Kokiashvili’s works in the show, best demonstrates how various areas of discourse are brought together.

Vakhtang Kokiashvili was born in Tbilisi, Mtatsminda district in 1930. He’s father Ioseb Kokiashvili was a well-known artist and caricaturist. In 1956 Kokiashvili graduated from the Tbilisi Art Academy (faculty of painting) and started his creative work in classical painting. During his studies at the Academy, he was excluded for overt curiosity and out of the box thinking, but luckily was soon reinstated. After the graduation Kokiashvili becomes interested in postimpressionism and American expressionism. The soviet exhibition committees (“Vistavkoms”) rarely exhibit his works though. 

In 1962-1969 and 1973-1979 Kokiashvili served as the chief artist of the Artists’ Fund of Georgia. In 1967 he was awarded the title of the Honored Artist of Georgia. In 1981-1994 he chaired the Monumental Division of the Artist’s Union of Georgia. At different times his works were exhibited in the cities of Warsaw (Poland, 1959), Tripoli (Libya, 1965), Dresden (Germany, 1969), Sofia (Bulgaria, 1975) and Kecskemét (Hungary, 1981 and 1989). In July-August of 1996 Kokiashvili worked at the international Artist’s-house studio in Paris and later had his first personal exhibition at the Georgian Embassy, Paris (France).

Emergence of stained-glass art in Georgia has been considerably influenced by Vakhtang Kokiashvili. He is best known for creating following works: stained glass windows in the interior of the former Hotel Iveria (Tbilisi), at the lower station of the Tbilisi Funicular, at the Tbilisi International Airport, at the Institute of Physiology (Tbilisi); painting and stained glass window at the Hotel Metekhi (Tbilisi). His works have also been presented in the other Georgian cities and locations: Kutaisi, Abasha, Kvareli, Tskhinvali, Sukhumi, Adler, Pitsunda, recreational complexes of the Ritsa Lake (Abkhazia) and Nalchik (Russian Federation), numerous sites in Moscow (Russian Federation), Ukraine and Kazakhstan. 

Since 1990s Vakhtang Kokiashvili became active in production of pop art series. Horizontal expansion of artistic expression and cultural value is furthered in his work through the usage of many different forms of production (abstract paintings, collage, assemblage, works on enamel and installations). 

Lado Lomitashvili worked on the exhibition display and design of the show. Lomitashvili (b.1994) lives and works in Tbilisi. He studied Architecture at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. He works in the fields of drawing, photography, artist’s books, sculpture and installation.

Nina Akhvlediani, 2018