In 2024, the country of Georgia became a bit more colorful thanks to the work of Tbilisi Mural Fest, which expanded its reach across five cities. The street art festival, which has run for six years, produced over 20 largescale murals in Georgia’s five largest cities—Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Gori, and Gurjaani.
The results are the fruit of a rich program of local and international artists. This includes, Case Maclaim, Judith de Leeuw, Sasha Korban, Afzan Pirzade, Javier Barriga, Shozzi, Ino, Innerfields, Cristian Scutaru, and Wedo, as well as celebrated Georgian artists such as Nanina, David Samkharadze, George Gigauri, and Tina Chertova.
Each artist brought their own unique style and sensibility to the festival. For some, this meant looking to local culture, while others drew on their own heritage to leave behind a cross-cultural exchange. For her mural in Gori, Giorgian artist Tina Chertova drew upon folk symbols and the traditional blue supra (“tablecloth”) for a monumental artwork filled with meaning.
The country’s rich wine making heritage was also celebrated in two different murals located in Gurjaani, the heart of Georgia’s wine region. Sasha Korban depicted an elderly winemaker, while Afzan Pirzade was inspired by archival images for his look at men harvesting grapes.
For his part, Javier Barriga left a part of his Chilean heritage on the wall. Close to Me, his mural in Tbilisi, was inspired by a poem written by Chilean Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral. Barriga wrote the poem, also titled Close to Me, underneath his strikingly realistic portrait of a woman and her child.
Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw made her mark on the festival with murals in Batumi and Kutaisi. Using her signature style, she executed two striking pieces. Her work in Kutaisi draws from mythology, specifically the myth of Medea and Jason, while her piece in Batumi is a tribute to the strength and resilience of the Georgian people.
“Georgian culture centers on survival and the warrior spirit. For decades, they fought for their existence. Unlike other countries, Georgia celebrates its resilience instead of victimhood,” she writes. “This spirit is reflected in their national anthem and traditional dance, celebrating the strength gained through hardship.”
Scroll down to see even more impressive work from the 2024 Tbilisi Mural Fest, whose organizers should be commended for executing such a wide-reaching artistic program.
In 2024, the country of Georgia became a bit more colorful thanks to the work of Tbilisi Mural Fest, which expanded its reach across five cities.
Tina Chertova
Javier Barriga
Javier Barriga
Innerfields
Innerfields
The street art festival produced over 20 largescale murals in Georgia’s five largest cities—Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Gori, and Gurjaani.
Sasha Korban
Afzan Pirzade
Judith de Leeuw
Judith de Leeuw
Case Maclaim
The results are the fruit of a rich program of local and international artists.
INO
Davit Samkharadze
