If you were already planning to go to Georgia’s eastern beautiful city of Sighnaghi, then you have one more reason to visit this cobblestone city this weekend. If you were not, here is the reason why you should. Until July 11, the historic and mesmerizing city is hosting an exhibition of Japanese calligraphy artist Koshu (Akemi Lucas). The solo exhibition named “Echo” is jointly organized by the National Museum of Georgia and the Embassy of Japan in Georgia.
The artist Akemi Lucas, known by her nickname Koshu, was born and raised in Japan. She began studying calligraphy at the age of 8. Her style is based on Japanese handwriting tradition which embodies the synthesis of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, before and after. The artist regularly organizes exhibitions, workshops, performances and works on different projects. This very exhibition takes a close look at the original gestural movement marked in each work—the applied pressure, speed, and rhythm that are said to reflect the artist's state of mind. It showcases masterworks of brush-inscribed Japanese texts, serving as independent works of art.
As Koshu says, her first visit to Sighnaghi filled her with love and inspired her to create few more artworks. The calligraphy master hopes: “that my love for Georgia poured into my artwork, is reflected and resonates in people’s hearts, rippling out and leaving an echo for the future.” Earlier in 2018, Koshu was part of the cycle of events “Tokugawa and Masters”, hosted by National Museum of Georgia. Within the framework of the event series of lectures and public talks that were organized in the museum in Tbilisi.
The UK based Japanese artist is currently working on two major projects; The Rugby World Cup and Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. These commissions are extremely prestigious and Koshu feels honored to work on them. Both projects are very high profile, which will bring her work and an appreciation of Japanese art, to a wider international audience.
“50 artworks performed by me will be presented at the Sighnaghi Museum from July 4-11. Along with the exposition, seminars and calligraphy screenings are planned to be held in Tbilisi, MIrzaani and Rustavi,” she says. The masterpieces will be on view in Sighnaghi Museum, 8, Shota Rustaveli Blind-alley. The exhibition is supported by Sighnaghi Municipality and “Georgian Express”.
After exploring the art of brush writing, you can walk around the museum and have a close look at the permanent masterpieces kept at the venue reflecting Georgia’s past and culture. The Sighnaghi Museum, located in the regional capital of Kakheti, was founded in 1947. The first exhibition opened on December 31, 1950, comprising of seven hundred artefacts. The Painting Gallery was founded at the museum in 1967, furnished with donations from well-known and beginner artists. Today, the ethnographic collection features five thousand artefacts, including textiles, copper and wooden domestic items, agricultural instruments, materials corresponding to viniculture, goldsmith works, different types of working instruments, and musical instruments. The museum also contains a rich numismatic collection of about two thousand coins, among them ancient Sasanid Persian coins, and coins minted by Georgian monarchs Tamar, Lasha-Giorgi, and Erekle. Photo and documentary collections numbering around five thousand, and archaeological exhibits are also represented in the museum reserves.
The Kakheti Archeological Research Base, co-existing with the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography was founded in 1973. Its expeditions enriched the archaeological collection of the museum. The Sighnaghi Museum joined the Georgian National Museum complex in 2007. The museum building was reconstructed, security systems were installed, new exhibitions were held, museum funds were supplemented, and the number of artefacts reached sixty thousand. On the second floor, visitors can enjoy the exhibition great Georgian self-taught artist of the late 19th-early 20th century, Niko Pirosmanashvili, more known simply as Pirosmani. The second floor also hosts numerous temporary exhibitions throughout the year. This hall hosted a Picasso exhibition in 2009 and a Western European exhibition in 2010.
In contemporary Georgian history, the Sighnaghi Museum is the first museum to perfectly meet the international museum standards. Today, the museum represents a top-tier cultural, educational, and scientific institution.
By Lika Chigladze
Photo Source - Akemi Lucas