Georgian artist Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli’s ongoing exhibition — “More than Life” – being held in Beijing from September 3 to 26 at the prestigious National Museum of China (NAMOC), has excited art lovers from across the world in the Chinese capital city.
The well-thronged exhibition, which has garnered rave reviews from Chinese art critics including the formidable Shang Hui who has compared Tsereteli to Picasso, displays over 80 art works. These include paintings, enamel works and sculptures by the versatile artist reflecting his impressive oeuvre which encompasses oils, sculptures, murals, mosaics, installations and ceramics.
Interestingly, this is the first time NAMOC is hosting a solo exhibition by a foreign artist on such a grand scale. It houses over 130,000 works of art, including antiques from different periods of Chinese history, a collection spanning many generations and genres.
But perhaps Tsereteli, 89, deserves such an honor, his influence and global empire straddling many continents. The octogenarian has a private museum devoted to him in Georgia; a gallery in Russia and ateliers in Paris, New York, Tbilisi and of course Moscow where he now resides. His epic bronze and copper art works pepper cities like New York, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, France, Uruguay, Israel, Japan, Greece, the USA, Serbia, Canada, and, of course, the master’s homeland – Georgia.
In 2016, a 268-feet statue of the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was unveiled in Puerto Rico. Tserteli crafted it from 2,500 pieces of bronze and steel manufactured in Russia and some 2,000 sq. ft of copper sheets.
In Moscow, Tsereteli is a superstar of Russian modern art and currently President of the Russian Academy of Arts. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1934, and initially just a painter, Tsereteli’s horizons broadened after moving to Paris in the 1960s where he hobnobbed with Picasso and Chagall. Over the years, other influences crept into the maestro’s work further honing his skills and shaping him into a universal artist respected and revered across the world.
Q: You’ve been working prolifically for seven decades across various mediums and geographies. Please tell us something about what motivates you to create beautiful art.
Life and elegance inspire me. There’s so much beauty in the world; I take inspiration from it all. Interesting people, beautiful women, children who I love, the loyal people who are part of my team, my kids, grandkids, great grandkids I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by so much love. All this finds reflection in my art.
Given this abundance, I choose to work on a range of mediums, sometimes working simultaneously on oil, enamel, bronze and copper: balancing sculpture and still life on one hand and painting from live subjects and memory on another. You can say that I am like a multifaceted conductor who composes from all musical instruments. I will not just play the violin but also the guitar, piano and drums….
Q: Which artists have been a major influence on you?
Picasso was a major influence. He taught me that an artist can do anything. He can sculpt, paint; he can do ceramics; he can be inspired equally by Rembrandt and African masks. He’s a free bird. Chagall, a fellow Russian, was one of my mentors in Paris. I’m also a Charlie Chaplin fan and have depicted the tramp in my works across a variety of mediums including oil and sculpture. I consider him to be a genius and a paradox. There was something sad about him, and yet, I can’t think of any artist who gave so much joy to people.
Q: How is the Beijing exhibition a significant milestone in your long and celebrated career?
I have visited the National Museum of China so many times. I always dreamed of having my own personal show here. The best Chinese and international artists are showcased in the museum’s collection, so I’m deeply honored by the opportunity to display my works here.
I deeply respect what the Museum’s director Wu Weishan is doing with the museum and the vision he brings to it. He suggested to have my personal exhibition in the National Museum of China three years ago. I was instantly thrilled and excited with the idea. We have been working on it for nearly three years. Wushan is also an incredible artist and I am honored to have the opportunity to work alongside him in this exhibition. It all brings back the moments we spent together in 2015, when I had the chance to paint his portrait and he to make a sculpture of me!
Q: Can you please elaborate on why you chose China for exhibiting your works?
The Russian Academy of Arts ( of which I am a president) has a robust relationship with the Chinese Art community. We have many Chinese students in the Academy. It is great to see how many students who have studied in the Russian Academy have achieved great success in China these days.
Doing workshops and master classes for the Chinese kids in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing in 2015, was a marvelous experience. I saw how talented the kids are in China and how much enthusiasm they have for becoming great artists.
My being an Honorary member of the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts and an advisor to the director of the National Art Museum of China for international cooperation, keeps my link to the Chinese Art and culture constantly alive.
Q: What were the challenges your team faced in putting up this exhibition?
We had to deal with the pandemic troubles. Air flights were closed. Difficulties with traveling were one of the biggest challenges, so we shifted to working online. This system worked and succeeded thanks to the great staff in the museum and their ability to speak Russian and adapt to new ways of working online. Our work was fraught with challenges but It all worked out even though it set back the opening for some time. All in all, we are very happy with how it all has turned out.
Q: What is your view of Chinese art?
It is fabulous to see how the art scene in China has evolved. It is currently developing into a diverse, professional and vibrant ecosystem. We are now in discussions to hold future exhibitions in Russian and Georgian museums of contemporary Chinese artists. We are excited to give the Russian and Georgian public the opportunity to grow and learn from Chinese art. We are also preparing exhibitions of Russian Art from the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the Russian Academy of Art to be shown in different museums in China. With this strategy we intend to build bridges for the two cultures to connect.
Q: What are your views on Indian art and culture?
India has always fascinated me and I would want India to be my next destination for a personal exhibition. I am planning one for next year and hopefully it’ll all come through nicely. Indian culture has found strong representation in my works such as the supersize interactive sculpture called The Apple through which visitors can walk. It is in Moscow and there’s a replica of it in Tbilisi, Georgia as well.
This engineering marvel is embellished with 145 bronze reliefs and traces the history of human passions from the fall. The sculpture’s enameled walls are awash with murals of men and women standing in Kamasutra-like poses which is my ode to Indian culture as depicted in its ancient scriptures. The Apple’s perimeter is embellished with monumental reliefs based on Biblical imagery of spiritual rebirth. Working on it was deeply fulfilling and spiritual.
By Neeta Lal In Beijing
Delhi-based journalist and editor Neeta Lal has worked with India’s leading publications in her three-decade career. She writes for over 20 publications worldwide and was nominated for World Media Summit Global Awards for Excellence 2014 and SOPA Awards 2014. A postgraduate in English literature, she has also been a scholar at the International Summer School, Norway and Condordia University, Canada, and has travelled to 72 countries.
