Whatever we experienced in 2023, we are starting another New Year with good wishes and hope. I want to introduce your readers to a very good modern artist – no doubt a great artist of the future, Beka Sakvarelidze – BI Auction Founder Partner Bengü Akçardak Küçük tells GEORGIA TODAY. “We’re very proud to announce that Beka Sakvarelidze’s first solo exhibition, organized by Mariam Shakarashvili at the National Gallery of Georgia, has opened and can be visited until January 28,” she adds. Beka Sakvarelidze won the first BI Auction Competition for young artists in 2019 and Mariam Shakarashvili won the competition in 2020.
Beka Sakvarelidze has been a teacher at the Tbilisi State Academy of Fine Arts since graduating with a license and master’s degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts (2010-2016). Since 2019, Beka has participated in numerous international exhibitions and auctions in Georgia and abroad. Most recently, two of his canvases were sold at the Hessinck Contemporary Art Auction, and these are also featured in the current Tbilisi exhibition.
The exhibition “Someone is Stirring” presents works made by the artist in recent years using a variety of techniques and materials. For the first time, visitors will see canvases which until now were known only to private collectors, and works that were created specifically for this exhibition. In the near future, Beka plans to open an exhibition in Eristavi Gallery in Belgium.
GEORGIA TODAY sat down with him to find out more.
How would you describe your artworks?
My work process is quite impulsive, requiring a lot of emotional and physical effort. I can’t say that it’s a very pleasant process, and I’ve often wondered if it’s worth what I’m putting into it, yet it comes from so deep within me, it’s unthinkable to exist without its vital energy.
It’s difficult for me to single out any particular artist who has influenced me, as this world in that regard is inexhaustible. Over time, the fascination with technical features becomes secondary, and thinking comes to the fore; conceptual exploration and a message conveyed through minimalist aesthetics.
Name a piece of art you think everyone should see in real life.
In this case, I will stay within the borders of our country and give an example, in my opinion, of one of the strongest sculptors of our time: Rusudan Gachechiladze, and his series of portraits.
What is your view of the virtual art space, of online exhibitions, auctions and sales?
The easier access to a work of art becomes, the less emotional it becomes. In general, comfort reduces the feel and quality of art. However, despite my skeptical attitude to it all, we cannot escape the reality and demands of the 21st century.
How do you position your art and yourself in the Georgian art scene?
In general, as has been proven, in more developed countries, a curator or gallerist works for an artist, yet in our country this approach has yet to be established. As such, the artist has to present himself, putting him in a situation which to a greater extent contradicts his inner needs. However, unfortunately, or fortunately, I do not belong to this group of artists.
How do you see art in Georgia changing?
The Georgian artistic arena is interesting and it is growing. Georgian art is still the bearer of that great energy of which the art of more than one country in the world has already been deprived for the most part. If Georgia uses this great potential correctly, it will be able to send very accurate and thought-provoking messages to the world.
What do you wish for art and artists in Georgia?
I wish the Georgian art space appreciation of the quality it possesses.
By Katie Ruth Davies
