Avto Varazi

Avto Varazi
Avto Varazi by Henri Cartier-Bresson, My Georgia
Born	Avtandil Varazashvili (1926-10-25)25 October 1926 Tbilisi, Georgia
Died	3 March 1977(1977-03-03) (aged 50) Tbilisi, Georgia
Nationality	Georgian
Education	Georgian Technical University, Faculty of Architecture
Known for	Painting, mixed media
Notable work	The Bull's Head, Bibliopole, Violin and Guitar, The Fish in a Laced Frame

Avto Varazi (Georgian: ავთო ვარაზი) was a Georgian artist and painter.

Varazi occupies a special place in Georgian painting of the 20th century. He applied various painting systems and techniques with equal success. Religious motifs also took a significant role in Varazi’s works, which was quite unusual for a painter of the Soviet period. His teacher was a Soviet Georgian artist, graphic designer and sculptor Alexander Bazhbeuk-Melikyan

Varazi was the first among Georgian artists to apply the technique of collage.

Bull's head representing a lamb’s head - wood,oil,trousers.67X40.1966. Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University

Varazi’s works are spread among world museums, while the fate of some of them remains unknown. Bull's Head is kept at MoMa. Another one, also named Bull's Head, representing a lamb’s head, is displayed in Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University. The other Bull's Head remains with Alexander Glezer in Paris, and The Octopus is in George Costakis' private collection in Greece. His 15 works are exhibited in Georgian National Museum; others are displayed in Kutaisi, Tsageri, Ambrolauri Museum of Fine Arts and Senaki.

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