Otar Jishkariani is an Honored Artist of Georgia and one of the prominent representatives of the 50s of the 20th century.
During the four decades of his work, his main concern was to raise the artistic level of contemporary Georgian books. He also worked in painting and graphics, created the type garnitures and posters, and executed monumental mosaic panels and several sketches for tapestry. Until the end of his life, the artist was actively involved in practical activities promoting the development of the fine arts in Georgia. In particular, he initiated the establishment of the exhibition hall “Merani” in 1970, the newspaper “Mkhatvari” (Artist) in 1971, and the Children’s Picture Gallery in 1969. From his student days, the artist started collaborating with publishing companies, creating illustrations for magazines – “Niangi” (Crocodile), “Dila” (Morning), and “Pioneri” (Pioneer). In addition to the book illustrations, Otar Jishkariani has made a significant contribution to the refinement of Georgian alphabet outlines and the creation of a variety of types of garnitures. He has made various samples of artistic types to decorate the covers of different books, including titles, frontispieces, and half-titles. The types on the covers of the following literary magazines belong to him as well: “Tsiskari”, “Liakhvi”, and “Kritika”. The highly artistic album “Anbantkeba” (Praise of Alphabet) composed by him is well known. The work of the artist, of course, has not gone unnoticed. This is evidenced by the many public awards he has received.