Merab Abramishvili (1957 – 2006) a remarkable Georgian artist, who, at the end of the 20th century, elevated Georgian art to a new level within postmodernist culture, as well as a modern interpreter of medieval Georgian wall and icon painting techniques. In the post-Soviet period he revived the traditions of Georgian religious painting and established a contemporary model, continuing to contribute to the creation of a synergy between Eastern and Western cultures in Georgian art, remaining both traditional and modern at the same time.
Since its establishment in 1992, Baia Gallery has represented Merab Abramishvili, having organized five solo exhibitions of his work. His paintings have also been included in numerous group exhibitions and form part of the gallery’s permanent collections. The gallery continues to research Abramishvili’s cultural legacy, documenting previously unknown works held in collections both in Georgian and internationally. The gallery’s database contains photographic documentation of more than 700 works by the artist. This material has formed the basis for the compilation of the registry of Merab Abramishvili’s oeuvre and for the preparation of the electronic edition of the catalogue raisonné.
From 15.11.2025 to 01.05.2026 Baia Gallery presents a retrospective of Merab Abramishvili, titled Transparent Memory.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the gallery has published a new catalog Transparent Memory devoted to the artist and reissued its 2016 publication, Inaccessible Gardens. Furthermore, an official website and accompanying digital project have been launched to complement the retrospective.
Curator – Baia Tsikoridze
(Art historian, researcher, expert, founder of Baia Gallery)

The main themes of Merab Abramishvili’s work center on the concept of life’s eternity, expressed through a religious model of perceiving the universe, shaped by personal perspective and defined by the historical events of the period in which he lived.
The concept of life governs all the motifs in his work, encompassing both its mundane and otherworldly dimensions: the model of the universe, the iconography of images, and the unity of details. In the artist’s paintings, everything connects to the reservoir of life, conveying a narrative of the regularities, transformations, vibrations, and impulses that arise from it and shape its many interpretations.
Abramishvili’s works conjure the impression of traversing a realm of living substance: we find ourselves in the Garden of Eden, walking through groves of olive and pomegranate trees, wandering among rows of rosehips, sunflowers, ferns, and palms, and becoming entangled in a jungle of roots and branches. We journey through a fantastical environment, accompanied by birds of paradise, peacocks, deer, and owls. Through a kind of seductive magic, the artist introduces us to this strange world—one that feels eerily familiar, as if we have visited it once before. These are dreams, futuristic visions, labyrinths of memory…
This is the universe, a place where all creations are sacrosanct, their existence determined by a single value system rather than a hierarchy. Here, life triumphs over death, transforming the setting into the abode of fairy tales, myths, ancient legends, and bygone heroes. The repeated mantra of these sensations is affirmed in every work: I was here, and I will return.

Baia Gallery
Baia Gallery, founded by Baia Tsikoridze opened its doors in 1992. It is the first private gallery of the post-Soviet period that is still in operation to this day. It has two exhibition spaces.
The gallery works in two directions:
XX Century – cultural heritage from private collections.
(Modernism, Avant-garde, Social Realism, and Trans-avant-garde)
XXI Century – contemporary art.
The gallery studies little-known and unique materials from private collections, acts as an art advisor, and holds a leading position in terms of designing private and institutional collections. The gallery collaborates with various museums and institutions, and publishes relevant books and catalogues. The gallery database contains more than 7,000 images and archival documents on Georgian art.
Read more at www.baiagallery.com