I am Lizi Budagashvili, a 19-years-old artist, musician and poet from the country
of Georgia. I have been painting since I was 7. That's when I first stepped
into a 10-year art school and since then I have not found anything more
important, universal and precious than art as my passion. I graduated from
painting class and applied to Tbilisi Academy of Arts, where I got accepted
with a full scholarship, but a better place, UWC Dilijan College was calling
me, so I made my decision and in 2017 I went there to study International
Baccalaureate program for two years. During these two years, I was taking an
intense Visual Art course and these two years have been crucial for my
individual artistic development, as by constant experiments, constant
exploring, I got to know the identity of my artworks better. At the beginning
of the second year of studying at UWC Dilijan College, I applied to different
art colleges and universities in the US, the UK and Italy. I got accepted in
New York University, School of Art Institute of Chicago, Rhode Island School of
Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, Ringling College of Art and Design,
Brighton University, University of Art London, Goldsmith University of London,
University College London and Nuova Academia di Belle Arti in Rome. Although I
got very good scholarships from all the schools, it was still unaffordable for
me to attend them. The best scholarship and conditions I received from Ringling
College of Art and Design and that's where I am studying now. I am majoring in
Fine Art and minoring in Business of Art and Design.
Besides art education, I have been holding exhibitions in
Georgia and abroad, too. Recently there was a group exhibition
"BLACK" at Crossley Gallery in Sarasota, where one of my works was
also shown. In June 2019, I had a solo exhibition at the Georgian National
Museum. Earlier, in May 2018, I had a solo exhibition in Vanadzor, Armenia, at
the Museum of Modern Art. In 2017 and 2016 I have held two solo
exhibitions in Vienna, Austria. In October 2018, in Frankfurt, there was a
presentation of my poem collection also illustrated by me and a solo exhibition
was also held along. In 2014 I also had a solo exhibition in Adria, Italy. In
between these, I have been taking part in different group exhibitions held in
Georgia.
Regarding other achievements in art, starting from 2014 I
have been actively taking part in different international and regional art
competitions. For example, I was a winner at Fourth International competition
of poetry, prose, theatre, and art “Lucce dell’Arte” and owner of an award “A
Young Talent”, Rome, Italy in 2015. In the same year, my other work also got a
prize from the International Art Competition again in Rome, Italy. Also I got a
prize at the Tbilisi art festival “Create Your Calendar”, in 2016.
