London Art Dealer Elevates Georgian Artists on International Market
Katrine Levin fell in love with modern Georgian art. Today she is working hard to help others do the same.
Sally White
Two Georgian artists, Levan Lagidze and Mamuka Dideba, have broken through the noise of the $2.9 billion international art market to find fame in major art capitals—like New York and London. Their success in navigating the art world owes much to the support of London-based art dealer Katrine Levin.
“Georgia generally is impossible not to like. I was stunned by so much creativity—unique, unexpected, wonderful. The surreal sense of humor. The warmth and generosity,” she says. Her interest, however, was captivated not by the origin of the artwork but by the talent of the artists.
“At the end of the day, it’s not so much about whether it’s Georgian art but whether it’s extraordinary art—and people recognize great art when they see it.”
A chance beginning
Katrine discovered Georgian art by chance, when her mother introduced her to Mamuka “Dideba” Didebashvili’s work. “I was just starting my gallery at the time and she insisted that I represent him. In doing so I have not only been exposed to extraordinary art, but also gained a lifelong friend and a gateway to Georgia,” she says.
“After meeting Mamuka I set off to discover other talents in Georgia, and fate and extraordinary good fortunate led me to the studio-gallery of Levan Lagidze, the collaboration with whom over these many years has enriched me both personally and professionally.”
While working on new marketing concepts, Katrine is currently focused solely on her existing artists. She says: “I select artists whose artwork touches me emotionally, that I really resonate with, that makes me want to look, and look, and look, and then look some more.”
Under her mantra, Extraordinary Art from Places Less Explored, Katrine has drawn collectors from Europe, the UK, the US, and diaspora Georgians for the solo exhibitions of the two Georgian artists in her “pop-up” galleries. She usually shows artists’ work in two or three solo exhibitions a year.
Growing market value
The marketing impact of Katrine’s presentations of her artists has come in recent years from regular solo exhibitions. Her first for Mamuka Dideba was an acclaimed London show in 2019.
“His worlds are magical—the ingenious interplay of light, shape, and deep, resonating colors in his abstractions; in his figurative works, the portraits of quirky characters existing outside of time and space yet feeling so alive as if they are about to step off the canvas and engage me in conversation. His extraordinary mastery of the Northern Renaissance technique in contemporary expression. There is a deep philosophy and an enchanting timeless element to his art that are irresistible,” she explains.
Her exhibitions for Georgia’s legendary Levan Lagidze—for decades now one of Georgia’s most well-known living artist—have been held in prime central London locations, including Mayfair, Pall Mall and Kensington, and in New York, increasing his profile and leading to critical acclaim. His pictures are listed in collections globally.
She says Levan Lagidze, whose work in the permanent collections of major museums in Georgia, Russia and the US, “shares common experiences while playfully looking deeper beneath the surface is at the core of his textured and multifaceted art.”
“Lagidze looks at the world from the height of the cosmos,” she notes. “And from that perspective, all elements are equally important and every detail contains within itself an expression of the whole.”
She adds: “He paints within paintings—art within artworks. His complex palette reflects the multicolored nature of the world, with blocks of color both in the forefront and hidden, allowing for endless discoveries. His art takes me to another dimension, as if falling through into the very origin of the universe. I can spend hours looking at his paintings and the more I look, the more I see.”
The strong base of international collector support Katrine has established has enabled the price range for a Levan Lagidze to reach £25,000 for a larger format work with even his smallest (35x32cm) selling out at £3,800. Katrine believes that Lagidze’s larger works “are still at a quarter of their full near-term potential.” For Mamuka Dideba the prices currently range from £2,800 – £6,000 for an abstract work and £8,000 – £19,000 for his figurative work. She says, “given the overwhelming response, these are also likely to rise quickly.”