I met Svan artist Fridon Nizharadze in 2007, during my very first trip to Svaneti. Back then Svaneti, a secluded region in Georgian mountains, was still notorious for frequent road robberies and little, if any, law enforcement. 2007 was virtually the first year law and order was fully restored in the region and making traveling there relatively safe.
In Ushguli, one of the most remote villages in the region and now a popular tourist destination, I was told that I might like to meet a local artist, and having nothing else to do, I agreed. I didn’t expect much from the meeting, thinking that all that I will see is a bunch of landscape paintings (and landscapes in Svaneti do call to be put down on canvas!), or some decent portraits at best.
Fridon Nizharadze was a modestly dressed humble man, who invited us in and took us directly to his studio in another room. From the very first glance at his paintings, some of which were sitting on the floor face to the wall, I was completely swept away. Colorful, detailed, and thought-through, the paintings were the best form of illustration to the both of Svaneti’s realms: the real-life and mythological.
Since then I’ve spent a few years traveling through Svaneti and photographing its traditions and daily routine. Many times I’ve heard local myths and legends, somewhat dark, yet colorful and moving. And every time I try to visualize those stories in my head, inevitably Fridon’s paintings come to mind.
Here are a few resources about Fridon Nizharadze:
