Keti Davlianidze

Ketevan (Keti) Davlianidze (Georgian: ქეთევან დავლიანიძის) (born 30 August 1976) is a Georgian painter.

A native of Tbilisi, Davlianidze graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in 1999, and has since shown work at numerous exhibits around Georgia.^[1] She has ties to Abkhazia, and gained recognition for an exhibit of paintings focusing on the region held at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts in 2019;^[2][3] the museum holds a number of her works in its permanent collection.^[4]

Ketevan Davlianidze (Georgian: ქეთევან დავლიანიძე, born in Tbilisi 30 August 1976) is a Georgian oil painter, graphic artist, sculptor, book illustrator and a production designer who’s spent most of her life living in Georgia continuously traveling to different parts of the world with her exhibitions ^[5][6][7][8]. Her artworks are kept in private collections worldwide and, since 2019 as a permanent collection in the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, Tbilisi. One of the most prominent Georgian artists, she’s known for the spectacular speckled technique, among her most famous artworks are the anti-war series of paintings Abkhazia^[9][10].

Davlianidze displayed remarkable artistic talent from her early years, painting colorful sketches from her childhood. In her early artworks the cheerfulness is prominent, which the artist has managed to maintain along with her personal development, therefore her style partly remained the same and partly has changed. Her major inspiration derives from nature, with its immense beauty and from human beings, with their infinite potential for creativity and love.

Davlianidze’s work is often themed and periodized that vary in size and mediums. One of the most prominent is a love theme - Dandelions ^[11]. As a symbol of fruitfulness and hope, which simultaneously reflects a wonderful and self-contained world of lovers, through exhibiting two dancing dandelions in the air mediating a pure relationship, and abstract shapes of two souls convey the meaning of love. Her themes consist of Blue water ^[12], Noah, Abstract cities^[13] , Windmill, Pink caucasian and many more. In water themes pink and blues are dominant, although throughout her career interconnection of different colors is predominant. Exceptionally creative throughout her life, Davlianidze has become one of the best-known figures in Georgia and worldwide.

Early Life

Davlianidze was born on 30 August 1976, in the city of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. She was the first child of Giorgi Davlianidze (1950) and Lena Davlianidze (1952), both physiologists. Davlianidze’s family consisted of sculptors, architects, painters, doctors and scientists. She grew up in a community which was established by her grandfather and colleagues. They were all painters or sculptors, so she was surrounded by artists from her childhood. Davlianidze referred to her youth as ‘a magical journey’, stating she was playing in rooms with very tall ceilings, was surrounded by gigantic sculptures, and walls that had oil paints soaked in them. Consequently, her painting from a very young age was a natural process.

Due to her admiration towards cinema Davlianidze pursued cinema and television painting at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, and graduated from the faculty of graphic design. After graduation she extensively worked with cinema framing until in the late 1990ies when she decided to study graphics which included linocutting and lithography as well.

In early 2000s she has worked with Georgian National film center, different television channels of Georgia, she has extensively worked with children as an art and painting teacher, she has participated in different art projects as a judge, worked with different companies regarding packaging, wine etiquettes and designing books. It’s notable that she has always been in charge of polygraphy for her own exhibitions.