Important Note

Registration required. Please note that all attendees must follow Columbia’s COVID-19 Policies and Guidelines. Columbia University is committed to protecting the health and safety of its community.  To that end, all visiting alumni and guests must meet the University requirement of full vaccination status in order to attend in-person events.  Vaccination cards may be checked upon entry to all venues.  

Please join the Harriman Institute for an evening of Georgian culture with artist-calligrapher Shota Saganelidze and Mariam Tabakhmelashvili.

The program will begin with a presentation of an art presentation, a masterclass on Georgian calligraphy, an educational lecture on Georgian script, and a live musical performance.

Artist-calligrapher Shota Saganelidze has developed a new direction and meaning to Georgian Script. He combined all three beautiful Georgian Alphabets from III c. BC (Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli) and created portraits of great figures and individuals who shaped Georgia. The concept’s uniqueness can be defined by the fact that each letter is turned into facial features and portraits demonstrate true legends who fought for Georgia’s independence and cultural success through arts, writing, politics, science. Thus, this art form symbolizes how to preserve old treasures and keep modernizing according to times.

Mariam Tabakhmelashvili graduated from Tbilisi State University. An active participant of International Republican Institute Georgia’s projects: #YouLead and #BuildGeorgia, she wrote and directed an animation scenario for the 2021 elections in Georgia supported by IRI. As the project manager of Georgian Modern Calligraphy Art, she manages communications and takes role of gallery attendant.