Being on the Mind of Caucasus Mountains: Sophia Cherkezishvili

The Georgian National Museum network presents Sophia Cherkezishvili’s “Being on the Mind of Caucasus Mountains” at the Tbilisi History Museum from 27 September to 11 October 2019.

"When I look at the Caucasus in front of me, I think that everything is possible, that it hears my voice, it sees me, follows me, it is my energy. It protects me like a fence for the rest of my life. It is like a parent, big and fearless. My people live in these paintings with it." The project "Being on the mind of Caucasus Mountains" was created with this vision, consisting of paintings and installation objects.

Curated by Nino Gujabidze, in each of Cherkezishvili’s paintings, there is the shape of the Caucasus Mountains. She creates an army of individuals resembling small mountains in a series “I am like you too." The women silhouettes are carved from wood. Visitors can become part of this army by putting their faces through the space in some of the wooden figures.

The blue series "The Caucasus Thought of Me" shows a “resemblance to the door of an altar with a woman in a flower arch on a blue background: all women in blue robes indicate the Virgin.”

Sophia Cherkezishvili says, “A woman is sometimes large and majestic, like a mistress of the mountains, sometimes a little girl jumping on a bed surrounded by mountains, like guards, sometimes a dreamer walking in the woods, and finally, a mother surrounded by a flower wreath; but everyone has bare breasts, with pronounced nipples as a sign of openness to the world, acceptance, concern for others, and at the same time it resembles a shooting target. And here I can't avoid another ‘sensitive thought’ that this is a symbol of our Motherland, its fate.."

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of: Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog