10 Questions with Gala Reya
Artist Gala Reya was born and raised in Moscow and lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. Passionate about the world of art, Gala Reya realized that she was very interested in the study of culture as a phenomenon of human intellectual and aesthetic activity, which became the inspiration for obtaining a degree in Cultural Studies at the Moscow University of History of Cultures. After graduation, Reya participated in organizing exhibitions and multicultural festivals, worked with contemporary artists, and interacted with the Russian Academy of Arts. Coming into contact with the contemporary art environment, Gala became increasingly aware of her desire to prove herself as a creator, which served as an incentive to enrol in the Moscow Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov. Additional education as an image-maker at the Institute of Culture gave her the opportunity to deeply study colour science and colour psychology. This brought her new experience as a designer working with the image of the environment, and it shaped her love for colour in her work. After realizing that her aesthetic and sensual vision of the world was formed and that she had something to share with the world, Gala began her journey as an artist. Since 2013, Gala Reya has actively participated in exhibitions and has had five solo exhibitions. Her thirst for travel and free creativity brought her back to her ethnic roots in Georgia. Here, a transformation and rethinking of her creative idea took place. Experimenting with materials and finding new meanings, Gala continues her journey as an artist. Her work can be found in various countries, notably Georgia, Russia, Italy, Greece, Germany, Argentina, the USA, Ecuador, Estonia, Switzerland and Norway.
Gala Reya - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Play. Create. Love.
Play.
Play in my art is inextricably linked to the importance of man's encounter with himself. With a subtle sense of the philosophy of cosmism as a comprehensive world, I realize that traditions are crumbling before our eyes, and support can only be found by looking inward. To find oneself is to become free.
For me, the manifestation of freedom is play! It encourages us to go beyond the limits of everyday life to create a new reality. As an existential experience, it is unique for everyone and can transform us and create magic.
Create.
Creativity is play! Through the new sincerity of Metamodernism in my paintings, I invite you to engage in the proposed fantasy with all available senses. I invite you to open the door on the way to your power, your unique sound, to discover in yourself a child with a sincere look and the freedom to show love. The hero in my works is invisible. It is one of you.
Matisse's openness to colour and Malevich's and Kandinsky's theories about the victory of idea over form influenced my choice of aesthetics. My square format paintings combine painting with acrylics and elements of collage. Working often with my fingers, as I did as a child, I establish an immediate connection between the body and the texture of the image. Touching the canvas identifies with the emotional impulses of my essence. I fully share Matisse's tenet - "I don't paint the table, I paint the emotion it evokes in me."
Love.
The encounter with my true self has brought me a new inspiration and mission: through the synergy of the meanings of artistic expression and the perception of the viewer, I create love. "Playing, follow your heart...", this is what can be said about me and my art.”
— Gala Reya
Svanetia, canvas, acrylic, collage, 100x100 cm, 2023 © Gala Reya
INTERVIEW
First of all, tell us how you first got interested in art making. When did you realize you wanted to be an artist? And how did you develop into the artist you are today?
At a young age, exposed to the moods of decadence and social chaos (it was Moscow in the early 90s), I began to seek aesthetic impressions for myself. I went to many exhibitions and museums. I absorbed and admired what I saw, and it gave me an impulse for self-reflection. In my youth, I interacted with the art world as a cultural critic and art manager. I organized festivals, exhibitions, and concerts. My life was always filled with impressions and aesthetics. I became an artist at a mature age, when I allowed myself to manifest myself to the fullest, it was due to a global personal transformation and search for myself. This inner necessity matured in me, and since 2013, I started my active creative path.
After moving to Georgia, you experienced a transformation in your creative approach. How did reconnecting with your ethnic roots influence the evolution of your work?
Indeed, Georgia has always been the place of my soul. My father is from Georgia, and I traveled a lot in this beautiful country, and one day, I realized that I wanted to live here. The move came easily to me and new ideas and practices came to me just as quickly. I started actively participating in local exhibitions and practising new techniques. I have always worked with acrylics and loved working with colour; my favourite format also remained square. Deepening into the amazing culture of Georgia I was impressed by one of the phenomena - the Georgian language and writing. Using Georgian text from newspapers and magazines became my medium and a manifestation of my identity. It was here that I first started to apply collage techniques, and Georgian language texts became my inspiration.
Axis Mundi, acrylic on canvas, 75x150 cm, 2024 © Gala Reya
Your art reflects a synthesis of various cultural influences. How do you balance your background in cultural studies with your role as a creator in contemporary art?
My vision of art as a cultural scientist helps me to broaden my approach to multilayered meanings and symbols. Knowledge of cultural history and philosophy helps me to see the inner connections of different traditions and the meanings that unite them. To use archaic techniques and methods. An example of this approach is the series of works "Vinum Divinum", a series revealing the dialectic of cults associated with winemaking. Here I used the technique of levkas (the ground on which icons were painted) and the symbolism of sacrifice in the mythology and religions of different peoples, dating back to ancient and ancient Egyptian interpretations. Such allusions and related symbolism in the general context do not lose their relevance, and the collage elements from contemporary Georgian texts link the general narrative of the past and the present.
Your work is also deeply influenced by the philosophy of cosmism and the idea of finding oneself through play. How does this philosophical background shape your approach to creating art?
I explore the theme of freedom and human manifestation in the context of all existing restrictions: social, religious, internal, mental, and laws of the universe. Interaction of micro and macro world, human consciousness as a grain of sand in the ocean of the Universe. The most accessible manifestation of freedom is a game, which we easily learn in childhood. A game of consciousness, fantasy, who knows how to play it correctly? After all, we create the rules ourselves. We play our adult roles with a serious face. What if we allow ourselves to fantasize without evaluation, because what fills our world is the reaction of our sensors. How exactly do we perceive colour, shape, emotion, smell, tactile sensations, and sounds. I propose to go beyond the correct labels and turn on your personal intuition to breathe in all the diversity of the infinite space of the Universe. After all, each of us adds our own drop to this ocean.
Danse, canvas, acrylic, collage, 20x20 cm, 2023 © Gala Reya
Samaia, canvas, acrylic, collage, 20x20 cm, 2023 © Gala Reya
Your aesthetic is influenced by artists like Matisse, Malevich, and Kandinsky, as you mention in your statement.How do their theories inform your own artistic process, particularly in terms of colour and form?
As I said above, I am not tied to the precision of form, and in this, I absolutely agree with Mattis, who expressed his sense of spatial form visually. Like Malevich, who argued that colour and form only seek to express the secret power of sensation. In my works, I convey my personal impression of form; they are recognizable but have the potential for personal interpretation. For example, my series of works, "Places of Power", is woven from these sensations of form, and the collage technique helps me to technically convey how the chaos of elements and lines creates a coherent impression of form. Kandinsky's theories of colour fascinate my imagination; this close relationship between colour and sound, colour as a powerful impulse of emotional impression, and colour as an independent statement. Colour remains my first love in painting; whether I change the subject matter or technique, my work is saturated with colour accents. This realizes my emotional expression to the fullest.
You often work with acrylics and collages in square formats, using your fingers to connect with the texture of the canvas. How does this tactile approach impact the emotions and themes you want to express?
Probably, this peculiarity of mine is the desire for tactile contact with the canvas while working; I often use my fingers or palm to make the necessary strokes. I also like to use different textures and textures in my paintings. The theme of play in the universal scale of the word suggests the boldness of pictorial solutions. So, I use different techniques and experiment with textures to express the full range of my experiences. And I think I managed to do it.
Moment, canvas, acrylic, collage, 100x100 cm, 2025 © Gala Reya
Your art encourages a deep engagement with the senses. How do you hope viewers connect with your work, and what do you want them to experience emotionally?
Visual brightness and saturation of my works is only the "first layer"; I fill the paintings with the original meaning. I like to paint a series of works that reveal a chosen theme or issue. I think that all the emotional depth is hidden somewhere deep under the layer of paint. Of course, I love the intellectual approach to creativity, understanding meanings, context, symbolism, etc. I am glad that I always find my viewers ready to immerse themselves in self-reflection through my paintings. Those who take this step always discover their own wonderful and infinite world of sensations. This synergy with the viewer brings me complete satisfaction in my work.
In your artist statement, you mention the invisible hero in your paintings being one of the viewers. How does this concept of viewer engagement influence the way you create your pieces?
As I said, the synergy with the viewer is at the top of my enjoyment of the work. The artist communicates with the world through visual language. It's always nice to be heard. When I paint a piece, I express my own thoughts and feelings, but I always hope to be understood by the viewer who can feel their feelings because of my paintings. I invite the viewer with joy and openness into my world of play and fantasy, and I believe that this will help to push someone's boundaries of consciousness.
Mountains, canvas, acrylic, collage, 100x100 cm, 2023 © Gala Reya
Looking ahead, what new directions or themes are you excited to explore in your future works, and do you have any upcoming projects or exhibitions you’re particularly excited about?
Now, my creative interest is centred on revealing the theme of games and freedom from the point of view of illusions of the human brain and the degree of its awareness. Freedoms and limitations connected with own personal programs. The role of individual consciousness and the general influence of the noosphere on each individual. I am preparing a new project that will be related to this theme, and I also want to experiment with new mediums and create installations for upcoming exhibitions.
And lastly, what is your biggest goal for 2025?
This year promises to be a busy one, I have several exhibitions planned, two of them solo exhibitions will be held here in Tbilisi, one of them in the Museum. I also plan to exhibit at major international venues, participate in competitions and create new series of paintings.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
