Uta Bekaia is a Georgian-born multimedia artist currently based in Brooklyn and Tbilisi. His artistic practice revolves around the speculative recreation of ancestral rituals, reimagined for a Queer utopian future. Drawing inspiration from traditional crafts, Bekaia creates elaborate wearable sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, and objects, which are assembled into immersive installations, films, and live performances.
Uta P. Bekaia, originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, ventured to the United States, specifically New York, in the late 1990s. Spending a substantial part of his adult life in the vibrant city, he currently divides his time between his hometown, Tbilisi, New York City, and various cities in Europe , actively participating in numerous artistic activities.
Bekaia’s artistic journey commenced with a focus on Industrial Design at Tbilisi Mtsire Academy. This early educational experience became the foundation for a career characterized by a wealth of ideas, creative exploration, and a profound commitment to expressing himself through art. Over the years, he achieved significant milestones, including immersive experiences at ART OMI, the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in New York, and the Garikula residency in his native Georgia.
His artistic style merges traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary flair, showcasing his work in diverse settings. From the Window Project in Tbilisi to the “Pickle bar” in Berlin, the Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi, and international platforms like the Biennial in Istanbul and Kyiv, Bekaia’s art has left its mark on a global scale.
Various galleries have played host to Bekaia’s exhibitions, including the ERTI Gallery in Tbilisi, the Silk Museum in Tbilisi, The Lodge Gallery in New York, Marisa Newman Project in New York, and the Center for Contemporary Art in Batumi.
In addition to traditional exhibitions, Bekaia engages with the public through dynamic performances and happenings. Whether organizing lively parades for the Tbilisi City Hall Tbilisoba Festival, contributing to the Book Capital of the World Opening Ceremony in Dubai, or participating in festivals at Turn Park and Art Park in New York, he consistently seeks to bring art to diverse audiences.
Beyond his individual artistic pursuits, Bekaia co-founded Fungus, a creative collective in Tbilisi. This collective serves as a supportive and collaborative space for LGBTQ+ artists, empowering their voices and ideas within the city’s cultural landscape.
In summary, Uta P. Bekaia’s journey encompasses a rich tapestry of cultural experiences, from his origins in Tbilisi to his adventures in New York and more. His artistic endeavors, spanning traditional galleries to public performances and cultural initiatives like Fungus, exemplify a commitment to pushing artistic boundaries and fostering inclusivity within the global artistic community.
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024
“Mother Ship” with Rusudan Khizanishvili, Window project, Tbilisi.
2022
“My Fragile Little Rabbit,” Marisa Newman Projects, NYC;
“Sea, Sea, Swallow Me,” Window project, Tbilisi, Georgia; “BajBajas,” Art Dubai, Dubai;
2021
“The Longest Day,” TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA;
2020
“Purification,” Museum of Modern Art, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2019
“The Present” [Part 2 from the Super Humans Trilogy], curated by Dr. Heike
Fuhlbrügge, ERTI Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“Inhabitants of My Childhood,” Outdoor Sculpture at FAT, Tbilisi, Georgia; 2018 “The Past” [Part 1 from the Super Humans Trilogy], curated by Levan
Mindiashvili, ERTI Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2017
“Kinto Dreams,” ArtArea Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2016
“Night Intervention: Uta Bekaia + Levan Mindiashvili”, State Silk Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“Unintended Archeology: Uta Bekaia + Levan Mindiashvili”, The Lodge Gallery,
New York City;
2015
“The Seventh Sky,” The Vazquez Building, Brooklyn, NY;
2013
“A Map of My Heart,” Popiashvili Gvaberidze Window Project, Tbilisi, Georgia;
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
“Tbilisi Art Week in Support of Ukraine,” The Factory, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“Wonderland,” Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT;
“Faces,” Fungus Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“The Smash,” Fungus Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2021
“Fungus: Anti-Fashion,” Kykilovska Club, Kyiv, Ukraine;
“BLUE by Fungus,” ArtArea Gallery, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2020
“Night Whisper,” curated by Alexander Blanar, Window Project+Cube, Moscow, Russia;
“Know Thy Neighbor,” OXIGEN International, curated by Irena Popiashvili, Tbilisi, Georgia
“In Search of the Miraculous” Museum of Modern Art, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2019
“In Search of the Miraculous” curated by Dr. Heike Fuhlbrügge, SchauFenster, Berlin, Germany;
“Here-Far”, Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia;
2018
“Inhabitants of Childhood” Turn Park Art Compound, NY; 2016 “Precarious Constructs,” Venus Knitting Art Space, Brooklyn, NY;
“Manifest Through Form – A Route of Evanescence,” Center for Contemporary
Art, Batumi, Georgia;
2017
“Vestiphobia” Par Gorria Gallery, Havana Cuba
Art Isterium – International Forum for Contemporary Art, Tbilisi Historical Museum, Georgia;
“The School of Kiyv,” 2nd Kiyv Biennial, Ukraine;
“Manifest Through Form – A Route of Evanescence,” Kuad Gallery, Istanbul. The 14th Istanbul Biennial satellite project by Kiyv Biennial, Turkey;
2015
“Heritage,” Rich Mix Art Center, London, UK;
2014
“Crossing the Boundaries.03,” AT388, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
2013
“Heritage,” Georgian National Museum, organizd by Levan Mindiashvili, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“Spotlights on Georgian Contemporary Art,” Dhadamus Contemporary, Brussels, Belgium;
“Morphing,” Berliner Liste13, Dhadamus Contemporary, Berlin, Germany; “Crossing the Boundaries.02,” AT388, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
PERFORMANCES
2023
“The conversion of the Elusive Rabbits” at L&S happening, Tbilisi
“SUR” at Giorgoba month festival, Tsinandali estate.
“Dark ass” performance at the “Invisible festival “ Tbilisi
“War & peace “ Mercedes Benz fashion week Tbilisi.
“ Roots” The Pickle Bar, Slavs & Tatars, Berlin.
“ Roots” Zurich art weekend.
2022
“Roots,” Tbilisi Art Week in Support of Ukraine, The Factory, Georgia;
“Seven Vivid Pictures from Geo literature,” Expo Dubai;
2021
“Fairies in Woods,” Art Park, NY;
“The Longest Day,” TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA;
“The Lover’s Rituals,” A. Chavchavdze Museum, Tsinandali, Georgia;
2020
“Songs and Dances” collaboration with Georgian Sinfonietta, Baroque Festival, National Opera House, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2019
“The Reminiscence Parajanov,” Close Up Cinema, London, UK;
2017
“Steam City,” Tbilisi City Parade, commissioned by Tbilisi City Hall, Georgia;
“Matchless and Almighty,” Batumi Cultural Center and Artisterium Festival, Batumi and Tbilisi, Georgia;
“The Scarlet Shadows,” Mercedes Benz Fashion week Tbilisi“Paradise lost” performance at Mercedes benz Fashion week Tbilisi
“Vestiphobia” Performance at Fabrica del Arte Cubano, Havana, Cuba
2016
“Uta Bauhaus UTA,” ODETTA, Brooklyn, NY;
“DaDa Ball,” Homage to Iliad Zdanevich, Garikula Residency, Georgia;
“Night Intervention,“ State Silk Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia;
“Vestiphobia,” Ideal Glass Gallery, New York City;
“Unintended Archeology,” The Lodge Gallery, New York City;
“The Fairy Night,” Art Park Residency, New York City;
“Elements,” FashionClash, Maastricht, Netherlands;
“New Tiflis” commissioned by Tbilisi City Hall Annual City Parade;
2015
“Berikaoba,” Tbilisi City Parade, Georgia;
“Fuasia Tatasia,” Movement Theater, Tbilisi, Georgia;
2014
“Duality,” FAT Toronto Fashion and Arts Festival, Canada;
“Art-a-Porter, Bryant Park, New York City;
“Fuasia Tatasia,” Peras de Olmo – Ars Continua, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
2013
“Purple Jester,” FAT Toronto Fashion and Arts Festival, Canada; FashionClash, Maastricht, Netherlands;Brighton Fashion Week, UK;La Guillotine, Paris, France;
“Sweatshop Boogie,” Williamsburg Fashion Week, Brooklyn, NY;
2012
“Wedding,” Tbilisi Fashion Week, Georgia;
“Days of a Dandy,” Ideal Glass Gallery, New York City;
“TRANSpolation,” FAT Toronto Fashion and Arts Festival, Canada;
2011
“Pheromone,” Laguanacazul Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
“Uta Levan,” Tbilisi Fashion Week, Georgia;
2010
“Saint Hollywood,” Ideal Glass Gallery, New York City; Tbilisi Fashion Week, Georgia; FAT Toronto Fashion and Arts Festival, Canada; “Icons,” Ideal Glass Gallery, New York City;
PRESS
Fucking young, Enchanted realms and empowered voices, the artistry of Uta Bekaia. By Adriano Batista
W Magazine, Fungus, an Art Collective in Tbilisi, Thrives in the Light, by Arthur Lubow;
MoMA [Post]: An Underground Bridge to Georgian Collectiveness: Finding a Tribe through Collective Trauma, by Vija Skangale;
FoxyLab New York, Uta Bekaia and the Queerness as the Starting Point of Art, by Tatiana Stolyarova;
Stirworld, Tbilisi Art Fair at the Expo Georgia boosts art and culture of the region, by Daria Kravchuk;
The Calvert Journal, Fungus: the queer Georgian art collective destroying toxic social norms, by Portia Kentish;
Shön! Fungus | tbilisi creatives on the rise, by Katharina Baron + Braden Bjella;
ArtAsia Pacific, Tbilisi: Roses from the Rubble, Part 1. by HG Masters;
The Art Newspaper, The 2nd Edition of Tbilisi Art Fair, by Adrei Riymar;
Le Quotidien de L’art, Tbilisi Art Fair: une ouverture sur les mysterès du Caucase, by Rafael Pic;
ArtsInBushwick, Precarious Constructs: A Dance with the Maelstrom, by Jenjoy Roybal;
Indigo, Night Intervention of Uta Bekaia and Levan Mindiashvili, by Sophia Kilassonia (in Print);
Liberali, Salt, Charcoal and Skin – Night Intervention of Bekaia Mindiashvili, by David Bukhrikidze (In Print);
Huffington Post, Multimedia Reflections on Georgian Heritage and Identity, by Katerina Zherebtsova;
RESIDENCIES
2023 “Invisible” South Caucasian community based Residency, Kachreti, Georgia.
2019 Art OMI, Hudson, NY;
2017 MAD Museum of Art and Design, New York City, NY; 2014 Garikula ART, Georgia
2013 Garikula ART, Georgia
Uta P. Bekaia 