A worker.Canvas, oil (2003) Painting by Niko Lezhava

I was born on April 16, 1964 in Tbilisi, Georgia. I have a wife and six underage children. Because of my own carelessness, I have only had two personal exhibitions in my life. In group exhibitions also I have only participated a very few times. In the nineties I happened to live in Russia for three years and there I took part in one of the art exhibitions, after which by the initiative of the local artists, I was accepted in some kind of Unconventional Union of Artists of Russia, but again, because of my negligence neither I have a membership card of this union, nor I remember its name. My life is full of this kind of bizarre things. Other than painting, I am also involved in writing. I am a member of the Georgian Writers' Union (now I am being rather foresightful - I take care of my membership cards). I must tell you that my though delayed (but still timely) prudence is not limited to taking care of the membership cards, it has not been too long ago since I have decided to bring out my art beyond the borders of Georgia by the means of internet. Unfortunately, at this point, I am very unknown even in my own country. I can say confidently that in my art there are certain such details that has never been characteristic for painting up to date, e.g., to draw a human portrait using a non-traditional method - (refer to the piece: The Fact of a Personality Multiplication against the Background of Divided into Two and One-Thought Persons. Canvas, oil 100x80, www.newart.ge). In my works I have amply included literature, philosophy, sociology, absurdism and others, though all of it has a non-direct, but rather artistic-aesthetic meaning. Let s take even the superscriptions that are presented on the surface of the canvas; each letter is carved in the basrelief form and first of all it acquires a visual meaning for a viewer, becomes an inseparable part of the composition. Though, if one was to find out the meaning of those inscriptions, it would unfold even further depths of the meaning of the painting. My biography is my paintings, as well as my writings/stories. If anybody would want to hear more details of this biography, I can tell many more interesting stories, e.g., how I managed `to tread ` the 9th grade of High School for four years, how I did not even study in the 10th grade and somehow ended up directly in the 11th grade, and at the end of the school year I was handed over a graduation diploma. From foreign languages I only speak Russian, unfortunately, but it would not be any problem or a barrier with those people who decide to communicate with me. With Regards, Niko Lezhava

• Nationality: GEORGIA
• Date of birth : 1964
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Georgian Contemporary Artists