Guela Tsouladze, born in 1959 in Tbilisi, Georgia, to a French mother and a Georgian father, was raised in a culturally diverse family, which greatly influenced his artistic path.
Guela's artistic journey was shaped by his experiences in both France and Georgia, drawing inspiration from renowned artists such as Sergei Paradjanov, Niko Pirosmani, Ilia Zdanevich, and Salvador Dali.
Guela found himself in the midst of this whirlwind — the right time, the right place, and the right company — the Holy Trinity, as he fondly asserts. These exhilarating years served as an ecstatic playground for his artistic instincts.
His time in Paris, where he studied at The École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, immersed him in the vibrant art scene of the 1980s. Collaborating with fellow artists like Pfillippe Waty, Dominique Fury, and Aurele Ricard, as well as assisting to Christian Boltanski, Guela found himself at the forefront of artistic innovation. His work reflects the spirit of free figuration that characterized the era, breaking free from traditional constraints and embracing spontaneity.
Venturing to Ibiza and Barcelona, Guela contributed to the transformation of the Casa de la Caritat Charitable Center into The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.
During his time in New York, Guela's simplistic yet profound black figures emerged, embodying the spirit of Batumi and garnering recognition for his distinctive style.
Returning to Georgia in the late 1990s, Guela sought to bridge the gap between his homeland and France, initiating various projects to promote artistic exchange and collaboration. He facilitated the residency of several notable French artists at Art Willa Garikula, including Jean Dupuy and Ben, co-authoring pioneering Fluxus sculptures. In 2010 he established l’Art studio Dotcomma.
Guided by the enigmatic black dot, Guela's art embodies spontaneity and intuition, transcending boundaries of reality and spirituality, and conveying a message of unity, celebration, and enlightenment.
In 2013 he established The Batumi Grafikart Festival, and The Contemporary Art Center, A 41°N / 41°E., fostering a vibrant artistic community in Georgia. Guela's commitment to art as a transcendent force for love and freedom is evident in his ongoing projects, including The Guelaxi Gang art school in Batumi, where he encourages artistic expression and nurtures new talents.
Solo Exhibitions
1985
Beau Lézard Gallery(France)
Nova Gallery(Ibiza)
1987
La Casa Caritat(Barcelona)
Carlos Lozano Gallery(Cadaques)
1992
Forbach Museum(Metz)
Dimmers Gallery(Brussels)
Gilda Veron Gallery(Sceaux)
1993
Gallery Free entry(New York)
«Thrones» exhibition, Yoji Yamamoto(New York)
«Kraft Bags» exhibition, Darial Gallery(Paris)
Decoration of Room 303, Chelsea Hotel(New York)
1998
TMS Gallery(Tbilisi)
Esposito Gallery(Paris)
2001
Sardapi Gallery(Tbilisi)
2002
«Tapestries», Galerie Siroux-Taki(Paris)
2003
«Waiting for the war and Valentine's Day». Committee of Artistic Salvation(Paris)
2005
The House of the Caucasus(Paris)
2009
Dotcomma. Moscow Biennale(Moscow)
2010
Dotcomma. Art Studio Foundation studio presenting(Paris)
2021
Personal exhibition at the House of Writers of Georgia(Tbilisi)
2022
«Grand Guelaxi» exibition, the Stamba hotel (Tbilisi)
2023
«Un Week-end A’Lest» exhibition, City Hall of the 6th arrondissement of Paris(Paris)
Group Exhibitions
1985
«Les Piliers De La colonne» exhibition(Paris)
1986
Temple bar gallery studio(Dublin)
1989
Contemporary Georgian painters, Bismarck Foundation(Paris)
1995
Bayer Cultural Center(Leverkusen)
1996
Contemporary Georgian Painters(Dijon)
1997
«Transformations», UNESCO(Paris)
1998
Boulakia Gallery(Paris)
2003
«The Rose Revolution», National Gallery(Tbilisi)
2009
Sculpture project for Batumi with 6 artists: Jean Dupuy, Émile L’Augier, Eliza Fantozy, Ourel Ricar, Tamare Kvesitadze, Guela Tsouladze. Garikula(Tbilisi Artisterium)
2011
Exhibition at the Maison de l’Europe(Paris)
2013
Founder and main organizer of the Batumi Street Art Festival(Batumi)
2014
Founder and main organizer of the Batumi Street Art Festival(Batumi)
2015
Founder and main organizer of the Batumi Street Art Festival(Batumi)
The Scarves of the Maeght Gallery. Contemporary Art Center 41°N/41°E(Batumi)
2016
The Scarves of the Maeght Gallery. National Museum of Tbilisi(Tbilisi)
2019
The Pirosmani exhibition. Van Gogh Arles Foundation(Arles)
Sculpture
2010
«Upside Down. Break-Dance»(Batumi)
2011
«Statue of Liberty»(Tbilisi)
2012
Sculptures «Variations of the Theme of Love»(Batumi)