“I like looking at landscape from above”. As seen from a high perspective, all elements - the earth, the sky - are equally important and every detail contains within itself an expression of the whole.” Inspired by the light and landscapes of Georgia, Lagidze does not paint specific cities yet people from around the world see their city in his canvases. He sometimes titles his works “Macondo” - the perfect city of an imperfect memory whose colours and textures evoke the essence of a special place in our hearts. Each viewer finds their own Macondo – be it a city, a feeling, or a memory - in Lagidze’s multi-faceted paintings. By evoking and sharing experiences at the very core of being human, his art creates a bond transcending cultural and socioeconomical differences. The life philosophy of uniting and sharing while looking deeper beyond the surface is central to Lagidze’s art. Each element within his abstracted canvases has equal importance and every fragment forms a part of a universal whole. This creates a sense of paintings within paintings, as the smaller elements within larger canvases draw the eye and appear to stand alone. As Nana Jorjadze, the Academy Award nominated Georgian film director and scriptwriter aptly put it, “inside every square of Levan Lagidze’s work is a separate universe.” For Lagidze, creating a composition is like “measuring eternity with careful steps”, where a blank canvas demands and promises complete immersion into the subject matter. Following a grid like structure, he applies paint thickly using a palette knife to create texture, depth, and a sense of things hidden. Reflecting the multicoloured nature of the world, blocks of colour are both in the forefront and also concealed, to be re-discovered by the viewer. Lagidze’s unique rhythm of line and colour creates a harmony and a sensation of being drawn into an ever- unfolding depth. “Macondo” is an exhibition of all new works comprising 3 large format paintings (130 x 105cm), 6 medium format works (73 x 60cm), and 21 paintings from the “My Journey” series of 35 x 32cm gems. Conceived in 2019, the “My Journey” series of playful small works allows Lagidze’s art to shine in small spaces while also inviting you to create your own mosaic of several works whose colours and textures resonate with you. L evan Lagidze is one of Georgia’s most significant living artists with work in the permanent collections of major museums including the Tretyakov Gallery and Museum of Modern Art in Russia, the National Picture Gallery in Georgia, and the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in the United States. The British Museum library acquired his book of retrospectives launched in London last year and in May 2024 Tbilisi’s Museum of Fine Arts will open post- renovation with a large-scale exhibition of Lagidze’s works.
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