Georgian artist meets Estonia's late painter Paul Kondas in new show
Finding inspiration in a Viljandi museum, Georgian multimedia artist Thea Gvetadze now shares a gallery show in Tallinn with the late Estonian naïvist Paul Kondas.
Curated by Vija Skangale, the duo exhibition "Unfolding Nuptials" at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery in Tallinn brings together two artists who never met, existing in different places and times.
Despite the separation, what brings the two artists together is the ability to see the world through a lens of truth and unmasked perception.
"While Thea's artistic practice reveals honest realities and hidden layers that often escape the gaze of the average observer, Paul's paintings disclose the complexities of life — signs of resistance, whispers of dissent and the quiet passions that drive human connection," according to a press release. "Often unnoticed, they also expose the truth about political systems and relationships."
Riga-born Gvetadze discovered the Kondas Center in Viljandi two years ago, and it was love at first sight.
"I was captivated by the magic of Paul Kondas," she recalled. "As a painter, I understand his process and also his madness — the madness in the structure and the tension of his paintings."
The Georgian artist fell for Kondas' intellect and humor, she added, and found one of the greatest painters in Viljandi.
'The world is so crazy today'
When Olga Temnikova, co-owner of the gallery in Tallinn's Kai Art Center, offered the chance for a duo exhibition with an Estonian artist, Gvetadze accepted without hesitation.
The new show features two rooms built for the exhibition: one dedicated to her own work inspired by Viljandi, with hand-painted walls designed to convey the city's atmosphere, and one devoted to Kondas' art.
In Kondas' room, Gvetadze selected works highlighting different sides of his oeuvre. One favorite is "Vampires," which she says captures the pain the world is in today.
"The world is so crazy today," she said. "You aren't finding solutions right now. I have a feeling we are stuck somewhere. And this is like, a body and mosquitoes, very powerful mosquitoes, are biting this body — but so skillfully. This is a very painful and very tender painting for me."
"Unfolding Nuptials" will remain open through April 11.
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
