Paata Merabishvili, a painter, sculptor, and designer, is part of the generation of Georgian artists who began their creative careers in the 1990s.
Born in Tbilisi in 1964, Merabishvili graduated from the Iakob Nikoladze Art School and went on to study at the Sculpture Faculty of the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts under the mentorship of Gogi Ochiauri.
After completing his studies, Merabishvili continued his artistic journey outside of Georgia. He actively participated in international exhibitions and symposiums, gaining recognition and popularity. His works are now held in both state and private collections around the world.
In 2023, Merabishvili returned to Georgia and presented his work to the Georgian public with a retrospective exhibition titled De-Formation, held at the Art Gallery Vanda. The exhibition featured a selection of his sculptures, paintings, and graphic works.
Merabishvili’s art uniquely blends national traditions with modernist plastic art. Drawing on his deep knowledge of global artistic culture, materials, and techniques, he has developed his own diverse artistic world. As a strong proponent of tradition, he masterfully integrates various artistic styles, which shapes his distinctive artistic language.
Although Merabishvili’s works tend to be abstract, his sculptures often remain within the realm of figurative art. His art is marked by bold formal experiments and a constant search for plastic expressiveness.
Echoes of ancient Georgian small-scale sculpture, archaic forms, and stylized figures of humans and animals are reflected and transformed in his work, acquiring a contemporary voice through his new expressive language.
Color plays a crucial role in Merabishvili’s work, and he uses it boldly and decisively. The vivid, boldly monochromatic colors of his volumes invite the viewer to fully experience their plasticity, dynamics, expressiveness, and rhythm.
Although Merabishvili considers himself primarily a sculptor, he also dedicates significant time to painting, graphic arts, and collage. His highly emotional, dynamic paintings and collages seamlessly extend into his sculptures.
For Merabishvili, being a sculptor means “the inner state of perceiving everything in space, where even thought has volume and color.”
Transforming these sensations into form - both in the plane and in space - is an essential expression of his artistic vision.