London – Bonhams will hold the first auction dedicated solely to Georgian Art outside of Georgia with the sale Georgian Art Now, which will run online from 19-29 May on bonhams.com. The sale will feature works by artists such as Rusudan Petviashvili, Lia Bagrationi, Niniko Morbedadze, Merab Gagiladze amongst other leading names in Georgian Art.

Daria Khristova nee Chernenko, Bonhams Head of Sale, commented: "We are delighted to be offering such an exciting selection of contemporary Georgian art in the upcoming Georgian Art Now sale. Historically, Georgia is known for being a land full of talented and vibrant artists. This sale showcases some of the very best, including Rusudan Petviashvili, Lia Bagrationi, Niniko Morbedadze, Merab Gagiladze and many more. We want to shine a light on contemporary artists that work in different styles and mediums, but who are all united by their places of origin, talents, sense of colour and love for their country."

Highlights of the sale include:

• Two works by Rusudan Petviashvili (born 1968). Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Petviashvili's artistic journey began at the early age of just two years old, when she was already creating drawings that displayed an acute understanding of composition and form. Petviashvili began exhibiting her work professionally at age six, drawing attention for her unique skill in creating intricate compositions using continuous, unbroken lines. This method, where she rarely lifts her pen from the paper while creating complex scenes, became her signature style and has fascinated art critics worldwide. The sale offers two exceptional examples of this technique, Happiness of Safety, which leads the sale with an estimate of £20,000-25,000 and Striving for Goal with No Loss, estimate of £4,000-6,000.

Growing up in the Georgian SSR during the Soviet era, Petviashvili developed her talents despite the political and social constraints of the time. After Georgia gained independence in the early 1990s, her work gained greater international recognition as she represented Georgian culture on the world stage.Today, Rusudan Petviashvili is considered one of Georgia's most celebrated contemporary artists, with her works featured in prestigious galleries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

• Niniko Morbedadze (Georgian, born 1957), State of Emergency, acrylic and India ink on paper. Estimate: £10,000-15,000. In her surreal, dreamlike oeuvre, Morbedadze reflects on the world around her; she transcribes the intangible undercurrents that flow between people and their surroundings. The unsaid is communicated through glances, piercing stares, the body language, and scale of the characters inhabiting her fantastical settings.

• Merab Gagiladze (Georgian, born 1972), In the Battle, oil with gold leaf on canvas. Estimate: £8,000-10,000. Gagiladze, born in 1972 in Georgia during the era of Soviet rule, emerged as a significant cultural figure in post-Soviet Georgian society. Growing up during a period of political transition, Gagiladze's work often reflects the complex identity of a nation caught between traditions and modernisation.

• Merab Kopaleishvili (Georgian, born 1967), Untitled, from the French series, oil on canvas. Estimate: £7,800-8,000. Born in Senaki, Georgia in 1967, Kopaleishvili started painting at just three years old with Czech pencils, a rare quality in the Soviet Union. His early talent led him to study painting, sculpture and repousse at an art school in Samtredia. He later attended Toidze Art School in Tbilisi and the prestigious Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Kopaleishvili developed a distinct style, producing expressive oil paintings and papier-mâché sculptures. These works resonate deeply, blending Georgian cultural motifs with universal human experiences.

• Lia Bagrationi (born 1957), Untitled, 2024 From the series "View From My Window", 2023-2024, acrylic on canvas. Estimate: £8,800-10,000. Renowned for her plethora of innovative ideas and experimental works, Bagrationi approaches the elemental issues of time, space, and human existence with a deeply philosophical lens. "The View from My Window" series features the recurring perspective from the artist's residence, meticulously captured on canvas. The focal point of this series is a piece depicting the view from her studio window. Bagrationi's dynamic palette and varied forms create vivid and evocative scenes in her landscapes.

• Teona Paichadze (Georgian, born 1970), Untitled, mixed media on canvas. Estimate: 3,400-3,600.

19 May 2025