Twelve Artists, One Town
2008 Calendar
Can art bring people together? Can beautiful paintings help to heal old wounds? Can a shared love for something in the past help people towards some kind of understanding in the future? These were some of the thoughts that inspired the production of a calendar for 2008 called Twelve Artists, One Town.
The calendar has been produced by Conciliation Resources and Radio Soma, Abkhazia’s first independent radio station. It features a collection of paintings of the Abkhaz capital, Sukhum/i.
A town on the Black Sea coast, Sukhum/i was culturally rich and ethnically diverse before the 1992-93 Georgian-Abkhaz war. The calendar features work by Abkhaz, Georgian, Russian and Tartar artists who lived in Sukhum/i before the war, some of whom have contributed thoughts on what the town means for them. They speak about the past, the tragedy of the conflict, and the new realities of post-war Abkhazia.
Conciliation Resources hopes that this calendar will help people on both sides to reflect on their shared past, on their continuing differences, and on the kind of future they want to build for themselves and for the next generation.
Some artists' reflections
“Sukhumi for me will always be associated with my childhood. What a wonderful childhood it was, full of light and warmth.” Lado Pochkhua, a Georgian artist now living in Budapest.
“The war changed everything, including me. I had to reassess a lot of things, and everything that seemed important to me before the war, now seems ridiculous.” Eldar Kavshbaya, a Georgian artist now living in Tbilisi.
“Sukhum is my town. Behind its sometimes unkempt appearance and its inconveniences, Sukhum has a colossal strength, and that’s a charm that makes you love the place.” Beslan Lasuria, an Abkhaz artist living in Sukhum/i.
Beslan Lasuria, Apra. Oil on canvas. |
Lado Pochkhua, Under the palm trees. Mixed technics on paper. |
Batal Jopua, By the sea. Oil on canvas. |
