Tatia Tvaladze & Toma Glurijdze

Katamura

Woodcarver

©Lasha Adamashvili

©Nikoloz Jorjikashvili

Inspired by Georgian nature

Tatia and Toma have a background as book illustrators
In 2017, the couple started their new project “Katamura”
The artists promote Georgia’s biodiversity through research and creative interpretation

Tatia Tvaladze and Toma Glurijdze, artistic duo from Tbilisi, create small wooden figurines of Georgian wildlife including various species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. They met at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, in the Faculty of Book Illustrations. Tatia was interested in graphics and painting, while Toma chose to concentrate on sculpture. In 2017, they established the brand name Katamura, or 'Hen' in Georgian. “We chose wood as a key material, it is the closest medium to the nature we try to embrace and reflect in our works.” Their work stands out for their detailed execution – the figurines are realistic and site specific. Most of their works are made of basswood, pine and copper. Each item is labelled with a detailed description of the species. “Our goal is to promote Georgia’s biodiversity through the research and creative interpretation of Georgian fauna.”

Interview

©Lasha Adamashvili

©Lasha Adamashvili

How did it all start?: Tatia: Everything started from our love of animals. In 2017, we launched our first social media page, Katamura, with wooden accessories and figurines, we got a great response. We then put our skills to work in creating conceptual works with an educational purpose: promoting Georgia’s biodiversity and richness of fauna.
What do you love the most about your job?: Tatia: The most interesting part of our job is the subject matter of our work: the overwhelming richness of nature specific to Georgia, which includes approximately 100 species of mammals, 300 types of birds and over 100 varieties of fish. We start with research, learning about each species and exploring in detail their specific characteristics. This is an ongoing process, which involves making and investigation at the same time.
Do you have any special techniques?: Toma: First, the shape is cut from bulk material, and then we carve the tiny details. Later, the surface is polished and toned using watercolours. We never cover these figurines in solid paints – semi-transparent tones highlight the detailed features and make the figurines more realistic, closer to the irregular textures typical of wild animals.
What are your plans for the future?: Toma: Next year we plan to develop a new collection of pre-historic animals. For this, we’ll need first to do some thorough research. We also plan to diversify our collections by size, species and styles. Constant innovation and development is key for our ongoing success.

Tatia Tvaladze & Toma Glurijdze are rising stars: they began their career in 2017 and they started teaching in 2020