Warm Welcome!
Hey there! Thank you for visiting my site – it means the world to me!
I’m an oil painter. I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to study with such amazing teachers and artists as Annie Domini, Erika Barillari, Helen Illichova, Peter Blundell, and others.
For most of my life, I’ve focused mainly on portraits, though recently I’ve been rediscovering the joy of creating deeply mystical and spiritually meaningful still life and impressionistic pieces, often inspired by Tarot mythology and symbolism.
My family and I currently live in London, UK.
My Story
I took on the artistic alias Rioni in honour of my Georgian roots.
Family legend has it that my ancestors were brutally murdered – believed to have been executed by the Russian government back when Georgia, now an independent country, was still part of the Russian Empire.
My great-grandfather, who was just a little boy when he lost both his parents, was adopted by a family who gave him their surname, one that has been passed down through generations. My father and aunt made several attempts to uncover his original Georgian surname, but it remains a mystery to this day.
Rioni is a river that flows through Kutaisi, a city where they once lived. To me, Rioni is a symbol of a lost, but not forgotten, family story.
Image: Bagrati Cathedral on the Rioni River, Kutaisi (Imereti, Georgia)
