Otar Chkhartishvili (1938–2006) was a leading Georgian non-conformist painter and graphic artist of the second half of the 20th century, whose work served as a weapon in the fight against totalitarianism and atheism. He was the first in Georgian art to introduce an anti-formalist approach, where the aesthetic aspect yielded to concept. The core of his artistic heritage is the conceptual series “Four Seasons. My Yard,” comprising hundreds of paintings created over a span of 18 years, depicting the views of the courtyard from the window of the artist’s apartment in Rustavi. Chkhartishvili actively participated in the 1974 so-called “Bulldozer Exhibition” and unauthorized expositions held in Moscow, while his connection to the Moscow underground circle and the acquisition of his collage “Elephant” in 1977 by the Zimmerli Art Museum (New Jersey, USA) attracted the attention of the KGB. As an anti-Soviet artist, he had no official awards; his main works include “Jeans” (1965), “Death of the Soviet Union” (1977), the collage “Elephant” (1977), and “The Last Supper” (1983).
Selected Works:
Portrait of a Girl (1967, oil on canvas, 137×127)
Self-Portrait (1967, oil on canvas, 80×58)
Rustavi (oil on canvas, 90×70)
The Last Supper (1983, assemblage, 154×218)
In Memory of a Deceased Brother (40 Years After World War II) (1985, triptych, mixed media, 80×170, 60×150, 60×150)
A Million Candles (1987, oil on canvas, 134×110)
