Featured Artist of the Month : Sophie Melashvili May. 2026 | TheArtList - Art & Photo Calls for Visual Artists and Photographers.

Sophie Melashvili

Tbilisi, Georgia

Sophie Melashvili was born on February 18, 1990, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She is a multidisciplinary senior motion designer with over nine years of professional experience. Sophie earned a certificate from a College of Culture and Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia. and later continued her studies in film and television directing at Ilia State University. Beyond her professional work, she finds deep personal fulfillment in drawing, a process she describes as “opening a door to another world.”

How and when did you start creating art?

My artistic journey began in early childhood, when my mother first gave me colored pencils. That moment sparked a sense of wonder — the realization that I could transfer images from my imagination onto paper. At just four years old, I was already drawing figures, dressing them in imagined clothing, and freely experimenting with color. It was, as I recall, “a beautiful adventure.” My curiosity was endless, and my mother preserved many of those early drawings.

What media and genres do you work in?

Today, I work across multiple mediums, including charcoal, oil paint, and digital tools. Rather than confining myself to a single genre, I embrace exploration, describing myself as still in the process of discovering my own visual language.

Who or what are your influences?

From a young age, I was captivated by the work of Rusudan Petviashvili. The artist’s distinctive use of shapes and colors left a lasting impression — one I continue to feel to this day.
During my college years, my artistic perspective was further shaped by close personal connections, particularly Nodar Topuria (Nono) and Ekaterine Koiava. Through them, I was introduced to spatial plasticity and developed a deeper understanding of how emotion can be expressed through form and space.

What was your inspiration for
Still Life, Oil on Canvas
?

My recent still life work emerged from a desire to better understand the interplay of color, light, and shadow. I selected a reference image and approached it methodically, painting small sections each day. The process spanned nearly three years, ultimately becoming a deeply personal achievement after a long period away from painting.

Describe your creative process?

For me, creation begins long before the brush touches the canvas. Ideas take shape in my mind first — fragments of emotion, color, and composition gradually forming an internal image. Only when these elements become too vivid to contain do they manifest physically, whether on canvas or paper. Emotion and thought, I believe, are the true origins of any artwork

What are you working on currently?

Alongside my work in motion design, I am currently exploring iconography. I am particularly interested in its ornamental systems, canonical structures, and symbolic language.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

A significant milestone in my career is my selection to participate in the ART SHOPPING Art Fair 2026 at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris — an opportunity I consider a major step forward.