Tengiz Gviniashvili, sculptor and teacher; Professor at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR (1965), Knight of the Order of Honor and Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi (2002), entered the Georgian artistic scene in the 50s of the last century first as a portrait sculptor, and then as an exceptionally prolific monumentalist. Starting from 1955 he was actively engaged in pedagogical activities.
There are many statues of Tengi Gviniashvili set up both in the capital and regional centers of Georgia. The first urban sculpture he commissioned was the monument of Ivane Javakhishvili, erected in the Pantheon of Tbilisi State University (1953, bronze). The following urban sculpture commission was the 11 m. high monument of the outstanding Georgian public figure Ilia Chavchavadze in Kvareli, on Ilia Mountain (1968, cast iron) as well as Two sculptures of Tchaikovsky (1976, bronze) in Borjomi, a statue of Zakaria Paliashvili in Kutaisi (1978, bronze) and others.
The most well-known urban sculptures in Tbilisi by Tengiz Gvianiashvili are the bronze statue of Elene Akhvlediani next to the National Gallery in the April 9th garden, the sculpture of Giorgi Leonidze at the entrance to the same garden, and the stone statue of the mathematician Niko Muskhelishvili on Chavchavadze Avenue.
