Giorgi Khaniashvili

When Giorgi Khaniashvili encountered tabloid newspapers, erotic posters, and pornographic magazines as a teenager, these images sparked the inspiration for his distinctive artistic style. He meticulously copied imagery that captivated him, gradually developing a visual language that would come to define his entire body of work.

Khaniashvili emerged as an artist during Georgia's tumultuous transition from decades of Soviet rule—a period that produced an often jarring cultural hybrid, marked by the collision between entrenched Soviet traditions and emerging capitalist values. This juxtaposition of opposing forces became a fundamental principle in Khaniashvili's artistic practice. He embraces the contemporary visual ethos of "anything goes," seamlessly weaving together diverse images and influences from vastly different sources.

His sculptures and reliefs masterfully conjure Byzantine archangels and other ancient religious figures, yet present them through the provocative lens of modern pornographic aesthetics—creating a deliberately uncomfortable tension between the sacred and the profane.

Artistic Practice

Khaniashvili studied painting at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and is best known for his woodcut reliefs and sculptures. Over time, he expanded his material palette to include clay, metal, and concrete. The theme of transformation runs as a prevalent narrative thread throughout his work: figures morphing from man into dog, yogis becoming flies, or magicians performing tricks on camel humps.

His monumental work "Braids of Time," a 3-meter-high sculpture installed in Tbilisi's Saarbrücken Square in 2024, exemplifies his artistic vision. The piece depicts a figure enveloped in intricate braids that transform into roots, symbolizing the interconnectedness of ancient culture (referencing Medea), Hellenistic influence, and Christian faith.

Khaniashvili's artwork has been featured in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including shows at Kunsthalle Tbilisi, the Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, the D. Shevardnadze National Gallery in Tbilisi, The Georgian National Film Studio, and the Popiashvili Gvaberidze Window Project.