Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Manana Eloshvili. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Manana, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve been painting since childhood and never considered any other career.
Later, as I gradually came to understand the essence of painting, I realized that it was not merely an aesthetic process; it was a spiritual necessity.
Each color, each movement of the line, much like every note in music, carries a certain frequency within the creative space.
The visual harmony I seek is, in fact, an energetic alignment — a resonance between the human inner world and the cosmic order.

Often, when I paint from observation — whether it’s a still life, a landscape, or a figure — I’m struck by what begins to emerge beyond what is physically seen. It feels as if the canvas reveals something not yet visible to the eye, but already present in the heart. The forms that exist beyond the visual world feel like inner archetypes, which I weave into my paintings.

Once I begin a painting, I’m unable to stop until it’s complete. It’s a metaphysical thirst. Each finished work is, at once, a discovery and a release. Just like in poetry, the essence lies beyond words — it’s the energy behind the shape or color that reaches the viewer through feeling.

As I dive deeper into art, I realize that this path does not merely attract me — it gives me life. From the very beginning, I never viewed painting as a material resource or a career path. For me, it was a bridge, both intellectual and sensory, for exploring the deeper laws of the universe. The visual harmony I try to capture on canvas sounds like inner music to me.
For me, the process of painting is not imitation but interpretation; an outpouring of the unseen that longed to take form.

Manana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Looking back over the years, I can speak more boldly about my creative work. I am Manana Eloshvili – an artist, a single mother who raised a proud child who is also an artist, and a creator of paintings where imaginary landscapes and real objects coexist.

I believe my art transcends from the visual into poetry, and from poetry back into the movement of colors and lines. This echoes my aesthetic sensibilities and expresses a single drop of cosmic order. I know no boundaries between art and life, as they are one for me. My inspiration often arises against a backdrop of unseen contradictions and pain, suddenly appearing like a rainbow flash of happiness—sometimes fleeting, sometimes emerging from a dream. I cannot tell you my exact mission, but I strive to reveal the hidden mystery of the world—not for provocation, but to guide the viewer to the beautiful mood that propelled me during the creative process. A painting is a kind of mediator, and I prefer to capture only beautiful moments in my work rather than reflecting tragedies. I want to be known as “the artist, a mediator of happiness through paintings.”

From childhood, I painted, wrote poetry, and sought easy ways to express my thoughts artistically. I experimented with all kinds of materials to improve my painting technique. However, I didn’t professionally pursue this path step by step—I was often held back by my standards, societal expectations, and financial realities. A female artist, especially one who doesn’t try to fit into frames and remain silent, is often asked to either face hardship or compromise. At some point, I chose a third path—freedom. I transformed art into my source of income. Specifically, I created three business pages for portrait commissions.
It’s true that most clients prefer portraits painted from photos as gifts for loved ones, rather than from life. But I offer aesthetic and creative solutions while accommodating their requests. This is very popular, and everyone leaves satisfied. As a result, my portraits are found not only in Georgia but also in many countries abroad, such as America, France, Greece, Italy, China, and so on. Often, I also offer buyers my distinctive style, such as the painting “Flora.” Not infrequently, I sell paintings from exhibitions as well.
My fields of activity include painting, poetry, teaching, and visual performances. My works are often sensitive, esoteric, and psychological. I create products not just tailored to a specific client’s taste, but more often, I paint according to my inner aesthetic vision, where one can find, lose, or transform themselves. This is both a healing experience and an inner alchemy. My style has already found its admirers. For me, the audience is not “consumers”—they are empathetic companions and co-observers.
I’ve also given my talent an applied direction by creating felt products: I make handmade felt and sew clothes from it, such as vests, dresses, scarves, jackets, and so on.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society plays a vital role in developing a thriving creative ecosystem. To support artists and creative individuals, we need a comprehensive approach where both the state and private sectors actively assist through grants, scholarships, and affordable living/work spaces, with tax benefits for creative work being crucial. Simultaneously, the public, as an audience, empowers artists by purchasing art, attending events, engaging on social media, and offering direct feedback.
It’s also essential to foster collaborative spaces where creative minds can share ideas and work on joint projects. Art must be recognized as a public good, not just entertainment, which necessitates boosting cultural education in schools and public areas. Ultimately, I believe art should be accessible to everyone, as broader participation will lead to a more sustainable and diverse creative landscape, thereby enriching society both spiritually and intellectually.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Initially, I uploaded my paintings to a Facebook business page and indicated that I accept portrait commissions. Simultaneously, I distributed advertisements for portrait orders in the artists’ square in Tbilisi, including my phone number. This approach led to numerous clients, who mostly wanted portraits painted from photos as gifts for their loved ones.
Painting is not a difficult task for me, so fulfilling clients’ requests for a one-to-one resemblance between the painting and the photo was not a problem. By incorporating my own artistic taste, I managed to become a sought-after artist.
Despite my creative painting style being quite unfamiliar to people, especially in my own country, where I’ve had to live the fate of an absolute dissident, and even though art didn’t initially become a source of income, I still managed to keep it within my sphere of interest. Imagine how difficult my life was in a former Soviet republic, where people weren’t supposed to have their own opinions or aspirations for the best. This was an internal protest at every step; it was a refusal to create the best version of oneself. Yes, it was a state where work was insecure, where you couldn’t get a foothold in any institution if you were born an individual.

I remember why I left my job. I taught drawing at an art school, and even though the city hall and the audience named me the number one teacher that year and my workshop was subsequently expanded, the art school director began persecuting my students. I couldn’t succumb to her provocations, as my creative work would be unimaginable under constant pressure. It would have been like cutting off my breathing tube, and my students would also have been under constant stress. I probably wouldn’t have shied away from a revolution if I could have changed something, but I also felt that one swallow wouldn’t bring spring. I concluded that the solution was to distance myself from state-run jobs.
My audience on social media was built through my honest work and humane relationships with clients. The fact that today, wherever you go in my city, my portraits are proudly displayed on walls is not only a result of my professionalism and well-offered content but also a testament to my customer service culture.

…And yet, I still feel like a dissident in my country, and if it weren’t for social media, it would be very difficult for me to exist here.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eloshvilimanana/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/12Jph3tc4co/?mibextid=wwXIfr