BIS ART Gallery presents the group exhibition "Awakening".

Since ancient times, man has been waiting for the arrival of spring, when nature awakens and the fertile mother earth gives the harvest. The word "awakening" carries a positive impulse. This exhibition shows how different awakening can be. Worship of the fertile earth can be found in the mythology of many peoples. The ancient Greeks explain the changing seasons in the myth of Persephone's abduction by Hades. It is only when Persephone emerges from the realm of the dead that Demeter, the goddess of fertility, comes to her senses and the earth begins to bear fruit.

Asya Bagaeva's work "Earth" symbolizes the awakening of physical life on the planet as it enters a phase of existence. It is the source of everything now existing around us and humanity. The Earth is the mother, the nurturer, the seed of life that originated many millions of years ago, which has found its development. In March we celebrate the day of the vernal equinox, which is the starting point of the renewal of the cycle of life. The work "Subsoil of the Earth" only underscores the artist's admiration for the incredible richness of our soil. Both of Asya's works radiate peace and tranquility, like the earth itself, as the calmest and most stable of the elements. 

Teona Yamanidze's work "The Forest" represents the natural awakening of the world around us. Bare trees, exhausted by winter frosts, revive on the threshold of warmth and new life. The artist's signature technique creates the impression of "plucked" pieces of material filling the entire lower part of the work. T.S. Eliot, in his poem "The Barren Land," as he considered Europe after World War I, designated spring as the moment of return to life: "April, the merciless month, brings the violets out of the dead earth. The branches, which grow toward the sun, extend beyond the painting, which sharpen the sense of how much the living organism seeks to emerge from the cold earth to the living warmth.

Two abstract works with the identical title "Noon." Mamuka Didebashvili and Polina Zaremba radiate the very sunlight and warmth that is vital for the awakening of life on this earth. And bright work by Polina "Spring is Coming Soon" only strengthens this joyful anticipation of a warm time. Expressive work of Polina conveys not only the spring colors of nature around, but also the author's state of mind at the time of painting.

In Maya Ramishvili's painting The Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn are represented as four female characters - nymphs or nadis, who appear from the world of dreams. Their supple figures, delicate as if in weightless lace garments, form a single pattern. Light lines and pastel colors of the work bring only pleasant thoughts to the viewer. The beauties in the picture are arranged in a circle as if one follows the other, and the hands of the girls also form a continuous circle which directly speaks of the smooth flow of time and draws a parallel between the constant change of seasons. Looking at these four characters it is impossible to guess a particular season in a particular girl, because the cycle of time flows smoothly, imperceptibly changing from one season to another, and each season has its own beauty.

Maria Skobeleva's abstract paintings reflect the artist's admiration for the power that nature has bestowed on women: to nurture and give birth to new life. Being pregnant, Maria conveyed through abstraction the expectation of a miracle and the feeling of involvement in this global cycle of life programmed by nature. These works reflect not only the moment of gestation, the awakening of a new life, but also the awakening of an entirely new facet of a woman's life - motherhood.

The semantic field of the word "awakening" is quite extensive, and often when it is mentioned, spiritual awakening or comprehension comes to mind. For example, comprehension is positive, bright and unusual, as in eureka, in Marina Lizorkina's optical illusion. 

Or insight after meditative practices, be it the transcendental experiences of Romanoza and the awakening of the Kundalini in Wangranda's PepsiCo work. Kundalini awakening, more often represented in the form of a snake, gives the meditator a state of liberation, oneness with all things, and awareness of the true nature of things.

Spiritual awakening, however, can be triggered by darker circumstances, as expressed in Surazica's works "Apocalypse" and "Rebirth. 

Surazica's "Apocalypse" can be viewed through the lens of Hindu beliefs. In Hindu teachings, the age of the Kali-yuga demon is the last of four global epochs before the end of the world, which is characterized by the worst destruction and natural disasters. After the age of the demon Kali, the cycle is renewed, the world is reborn. In this case, the apocalypse is an opportunity for the revelation of great knowledge. Here the end of the world is a transitional state that is necessary for the renewal of the world, for its awakening. The protagonist, clad in brass armor, could be an interpretation of the apocalyptic horseman administering justice. Apocalypse leads to a stage of rebirth, spiritual awakening, awareness.

Artists: Asya Bagaeva, Teona Yamanidze, Mamuka Didebashvili, Polina Zaremba, Maia Ramishvili, Maria Skobeleva, Vangranda, Surazitsa, Evgeny Zaremba.