Artizan Design Hotel in Tbilisi hosted an opening of the magnificent exhibition by a renowned Georgian artist, Elene Rakviashvili.

At first, when I saw the ad promoting this art show, I thought, why, this is too far from conceptual art. Yet, my recent obsession with everything floral and general curiosity led me to the opening event, where my perception got fully altered.

First of all, the space in the Artizan Design Hotel adds a mysterious and ethereal layer to the whole exhibition experience. Organised by SLCT Gallery together with Beyond Gallery, the event seemed much more optimistic and colourful than some of the other art shows in the city.

But only at first sight…

While making my third or fourth circle around the place, following single paintings hiding between the rich greenery of the corridors, or making my way through the crowd of visitors to see the triptychs, I understood the copy describing the exhibition:

The Dose That Kills and Heals

“Inspired by the myth of Medea, the Georgian princess of Colchis, the exhibition explores the delicate balance between healing and harm. Through vivid floral forms, Elene pays tribute to Georgia’s ancestral wisdom.”

In the first picture above, the triptych with purple field flowers invites you into its wild universe, where there’s only you and these numerous little creations. Yet if you look closer, you’ll notice how dark it is inside each of the flowers, how terrifying their inner side is, how you can get lost in these hugs and never find your way out, your way home.

They’re like a hive of dark caves, menacing and evil. Yet, they can heal you if you KNOW how to use them right.

For centuries, peoples living in the territory of the Republic of Georgia suffered from endless attacks from, at first, nomads, and later, neighbouring empires. Mountains, caves, and local fauna were their protectors. The wisdom they developed over the numerous battles helped them preserve their Qartuli language and culture till now, even after the empires tried to erase them in all possible ways.

I believe Elene pays tribute to the resistance and knowledge of the Georgian people with this demonstration, through exploration of the florals, through the nature that nurtured the Georgian spirit.

A few more impressions about the paintings:

The poppies are waiting, they’re watching you. Waiting for when you come begging them to help you, to live through one more illusory moment.

The flowers like an army, sometimes toxic, sometimes opiumy, trying to conquer your mind and soul.

And after all, they’re so beautiful, magnificent living creatures born by Nature. Holding still like they’re about to decide, should you live or should you…

Overall, the artist demonstrated her profound research of the endemic flowers of Sakartvelo, and used her talent to show this dichotomy of beauty and death within subtle petals and stems.

Elene painted with a specific colour palette ranging from red to purple, which helps to preserve the feeling of a mere anxiety and expectation.

All of these works were made with ink on canvas. On a display at Artizan Design Hotel through December 4th 2025.