In this new ongoing series of paintings Andro Semeiko's gestural calligraphic lines reference 19th Century Georgian poet Vazha Pshavela's work. The paintings explore multilayered meaning in the poet's verse. 

 

The works in the series also reference poems by Galaktion Tabidze and Titsian Tabidze who were inspired by Vazha Pshavela and created poetry with hidden layers of meaning. They were both victims of Stalin's Great Purge. Their work had profound influence on subsequent generation of Georgian poets. In the paintings Dreaming Eagles (2021) and Portrait (2021), lines from their poems mingle with trompe l'oeil painted bullet holes.  

 

Some of these painting have featured in the exhibition 'Swirl of Words/ Swirl of Worlds', 4 June - 14 August 2021, at PEER, London.

Currently these works are exhibited as part of Semeiko's solo exhibition 'If Only', until 31 January 2023, at the Georgian Embassy, London. Book a visit >

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