MERAB
BULISKIRIA
Morning in 2024
146x96cm, oil on canvas, 2024
The year 2024, whether we like it or not, was a year of global chaos. Wars, protests, major changes in major countries, and worrying news reaching us as first things in the morning via social media. And despite all of this, we used to wake up every day and really thought about our daily lives. We went about our business, accomplished our tasks, and then, later, the same bad news came back to us. Yet, we really continued to think about the next morning. I wanted to capture this year in a single work and convey the essence of every morning of 2024, despite everything.
***
The Creation of Eve
146x97cm, oil on canvas, 2024
I wanted to capture in a painting where we come from, according to my belief, and what were the key discoveries that helped us get to where we are. Eva's creation is dedicated to this question. We were never satisfied with our natural state; we were missing something: it was fire, then it was the wheel, and then it was Malevich's black square.
***
The Child of the 21st Century
130x90cm, oil on canvas, 2024
“The Child of the Present” – this work represents the child of the 21st century. I wanted to express their problematic relationship with technology and the possible consequences of its sudden disappearance. The rest will probably be expressed through the accompanying visual work…
***
Vazha - Cosmopolitanism is Patriotism.
146x96cm, oil on canvas, 2024
Vaja-Pchavela, 1861-1915 (Luka Razikashvili) is a classic of Georgian literature, poet, and writer. This work refers to his letter "Cosmopolitanism is Patriotism," written in 1905, a view I fully share.
Being Georgian while living and working in Paris has always pushed me to adopt a global perspective. However, how can we love and accept foreigners if we don't start by loving our own?
In this context, I wanted to create a work that reflects cosmopolitanism while preserving the essence of patriotism. For me, Vaja-Pchavela perfectly embodies this symbol.
***
Your Bordeaux Mask
110x70cm, oil on canvas, 2022
Life is like a big carnival, and the moment you're truly seen, it's unlikely that that burgundy mask will be necessary anymore. We artists reveal ourselves for all to see, don't we? No, we don't need masks!
What we need is simply to be ourselves and express that. Then our expression will find its place in this world, just as we have found our place in it.
***
What should I express? How can I please you?
146x96cm, oil on canvas, 2024
A Georgian public figure, publicist, journalist, politician, writer, and deputy of the State Council of the Russian Empire in 1906-1907, he played an important role in the formation of civil society in Georgia in the 19th century. He made a decisive contribution to the creation of the Georgian national liberation movement and the spread of liberal values.
“What can I express? How can I make you happy?”
This painting was created based on Ilia's publicistic essay "What to say? How to rejoice?" dated December 31, 1897. This text seems to express a New Year's wish, but an attentive reader will discern a deep pain and poignant sadness in the
the writer's rhetoric. The political events of the end of the previous year in Georgia and the instability that reigned in the country touched me, despite the distance. I felt the need to express my opinion and position on all this through a work that, in my opinion, reflects the current reality. This is how the image of Ilia came to my mind. I sought to deepen my reflection to be more precise, which reminded me of his essay and the fact that there was only 1 day left until the arrival of 2025. I finished the painting on December 30, 2024, and the rest is hers' to tell…