‘თავისუფაჲ ხატვა,’ translated as ‘free drawing,’ characterizes the artistic approach of Georgian artist Elene Chantladze. Her works often incorporate writing, stemming from her background as a poet and author before turning to painting. Chantladze embraces chance and spontaneity, using materials at hand, such as colored pencils, gouache, coffee, and even cardboard. Her process begins with abstract, non-representational layers, followed by the development of images based on chance markings. These images oscillate between abstraction and figuration, featuring isolated or densely populated scenes. They typically inhabit vaguely defined, theatrical spaces, occasionally suggesting landscapes or interiors. Chantladze’s subjects are drawn from her immediate surroundings, encompassing family, folklore, political events, and popular culture. Her works evoke a sense of earnestness and continuity, devoid of a distinct style or phases of discovery. The artist’s confidence in the painterly process and direct influences is evident throughout her body of work, which now receives its first institutional solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Zürich. In this video, we have a look at the exhibition and the curator of the show, Otto Bonnen, provides us with an introduction to Elene Chantladze’s work.

Elene Chantladze: As in a Melody or a Bird’s Nest. Retrospective at Kunsthalle Zürich. Zürich (Switzerland), October 6, 2023.