FOTOGRAFIA Limited Edition Prints (Est. 2017) is Tbilisi’s first limited edition print photography gallery dedicated exclusively to supporting the work of local and international photographers. Established in 2017 by American-born photographer, Ryan McCarrel, the gallery’s mission is to raise awareness of the significant contributions made by the Georgian photographic community to the visual arts. Our story is their story.
Georgia has a rich tradition of photography dating back to the late 19th century. Throughout the Soviet period, Georgian photographers were acclaimed artists who received accolades from some of the most prestigious photographic journals of the time. That tradition has continued today.
In the late 1980’s, when the Soviet system began to crumble, Georgian documentary photographers like Giorgi Tsagareli and Yuri Mechitov, were quick to document the chaos that unfolded around them. This period was particularly difficult for Georgia. The region disintegrated into open conflict. Prolonged economic crisis meant that daily life became a struggle. The work of Georgian photographers during this time has since proven instrumental in documenting these difficult times. Our gallery is fortunate to have a large collection of these works. Each photograph tells one part of the story of Georgia’s emergence as an independent country.
While documentary photography has always been a particularly strong genre in Georgia, today’s artists are experimenting with a variety of approaches to the medium. Georgia’s younger generation of emerging photographers have gained notoriety for their work in fashion and contemporary photography. It is notable that in a field disproportionately represented by male photographers, it is Georgia’s female photographers who are leading the way.
The work of Mariam Sitchinava and Louisa Chalatashvili, in particular, has received attention from international media and major fashion brands, including Chanel. Meanwhile, Nata Sopromadze and Ketevan Gvinepadze are pushing boundaries in conceptual photography. We are fortunate to have their most recent work in our gallery. Including Nata’s ongoing series, The Secret Life of Trees, which was recently exhibited at KOLGA 2017.
To learn more about our gallery or to plan a trip please please do not hesitate to contact us. We are open 7 days per week. If you would like to purchase a print, but are not in Tbilisi, you can do so via our online gallery. International shipping via Aramex is available.
All photographs published here remain © of the artists.