Gabriella Gelovna Gelashvili
Gabriella Gelovna Gelashvili is a surrealist oil painter whose work moves between direct and indirect erotica and deep, sometimes dark philosophical ideologies—“psychological triggers disguised as visual experience.” Raised between Southeast Asian travel and the adult night clubs her father owned, she developed a non-judgmental perspective early on, learning to see things as they are rather than how she wished them to be. Combined with a lifelong habit of close observation, this shaped her ability to catch details most overlook and transform them into images that provoke, unsettle, and invite reflection.
Art has been part of Gelovna’s life since childhood. She painted constantly and later studied in charter after-school academies in Russia and Miami, but remained largely self-directed, choosing to learn at her own pace. She describes herself not as a painter in the academic sense but as an artist who creates with emotion rather than by the book. A defining philosophy she shares with earlier generations is the belief that “the only way to be immortal is to scatter yourself in your art and let it carry your spirit after you pass.”
Her chosen medium is oil, which she calls soulful compared to acrylics or watercolor. She often adds 3D modeling pastes and other craft materials to build relief and texture. Recurring themes in her work include eros, taboo, and philosophy—trauma buried in flesh, desire suppressed by culture, pleasure twisted by shame. The work pushes against what she critiques as a “neutered modernity” that sterilizes sensuality in the name of discipline and control. Influences such as Salvador Dalí, Gustav Klimt, Leonardo da Vinci, Roberto Fabelo, Marquis von Bayros, and Marquis de Sade affirmed for her that beauty and truth often reside in what is rejected or deemed ugly.
Her creative process begins with a silent brainstorming ritual—fifteen to twenty minutes with a cigarette to confirm the image in her mind—before allowing the work to unfold freely. Paintings often diverge dramatically from her initial vision, and she enjoys embedding subtle “hints and riddles” tied to her surroundings, such as the Washington, DC skyline in a piece marking her husband’s proposal on the Fourth of July. A typical day starts with kratom tea, quiet reflection, and painting ornaments to ease into flow. When blocked, she turns to stress baking until the work calls her back.
A pivotal piece in her career was Capital “G” — The Gaze, a commissioned self-portrait that she describes as showing “all the hidden parts.” Its success confirmed her direction in surrealistic erotica and strengthened her conviction to paint what society tries to sanitize, to render it honestly whether embraced or rejected.
Gelovna’s personal life and her art are inseparable. She views her canvases as direct reflections of her emotions, even if the viewer cannot decipher the exact message. Supported by those closest to her, she recharges through love, philosophical conversation, impulsive travel, and deep discussion over wine.
She is open to collaboration, particularly with writers. One idea she has proposed is pairing a poem and a painting, inscribing the text on the canvas and producing joint editions as postcards. To emerging artists, her advice is direct: find your uniqueness, because without it, the work carries no lasting power.
Currently, Gelovna is developing a private E.E.E. (Extreme Explicit Erotica) collection for a client. In November 2025, she will begin a Paris series of four to five paintings inspired by the city’s atmosphere and focused on romantic, star-crossed love stories. Looking ahead, she states her ambition clearly: to become the first great philosopher-artist born in the 21st century.
