Women Artists in Georgian Visual Arts of the Soviet Period

November 28 | 15:00 | Kvareli Foundation

Speakers: Kote Bolkvadze, Keti Kapanadze, Leila Shelia, Lia Shvelidze

The history of Georgian art during the Soviet period is frequently understood through the emergence of unofficial artistic movements, the development of alternative visual languages, and the complex relationship between artistic expression and ideological authority. Yet the place of women within these narratives, and the particular circumstances under which they developed their artistic practices, remains comparatively under-examined.

On November 28, Kvareli Foundation will host a lecture and discussion exploring the experiences of women artists in Soviet Georgia, the cultural and institutional structures that shaped their work, and the ways in which they asserted artistic individuality within a society marked by ideological restrictions and deeply embedded social conventions.

The conversation will be led by Kote Bolkvadze, who has devoted particular attention to the histories and contributions of women artists in Georgian art. He will be joined by Keti Kapanadze, Lia Shvelidze, and Leila Shelia, three artists whose practices took shape during the final decades of Soviet rule and continued to evolve through Georgia’s transition to independence. Representing distinct artistic sensibilities and approaches, their experiences offer different perspectives on a period of considerable cultural and political transformation.

Through their individual trajectories, the discussion will examine the relationship between artistic freedom and institutional recognition, the visibility of women within established art-historical narratives, and the continuities and ruptures between the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. It will also consider how the work of these artists challenges conventional understandings of Georgian contemporary art and invites a more nuanced reading of its history.