Artist based in Budapest, Hungary
Erekle Chinchilakashvili, Portrait of the Artist
Tell us about yourself, what's your background?
I knew I wanted to be in a field close to art from an early age. Then, I studied Art history for my Bachelor's, and after that, I moved to Scenography. This is when I got a small space in a shared studio, and I started to make small paintings. Well, since then, I have been sure that this is what I'd like to do for the rest of my life. It was a pretty simple decision.
Architecture of Memory, installation, size variable, mixed media, 2025, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
“Inspiration comes in the process itself. I try to observe the life that is happening around me, and I try to spend time in the studio, sometimes working and experimenting, but sometimes just hanging out. And somehow, at some point, an idea comes..."
Architecture of Memory (detail shot#1), installation, size variable, mixed media, 2025, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
What are you currently working on and where did the inspiration for it come from?
Right now, I am in transition mode because I just recently finished a project, and after that, I always take a rest from the mediums. I watch films, read, take walks, and get my energy back for the next curiosity. The last project was about archives, in particular, the archivist's mind. The exhibition questions the ethics of representation: Is memory an act of preservation or an extension of loss?
Architecture of Memory (detail shot #2), installation, size variable, mixed media, 2025, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
Innovation does not only happen in the field of technology — it occurs everyday in a creative practice. What do you do for inspiration?
Inspiration comes in the process itself. I try to observe the life that is happening around me, and I try to spend time in the studio, sometimes working and experimenting, but sometimes just hanging out. And somehow, at some point, an idea comes, and when a strong one comes, you just feel it in the gut that this is something that is important for me.
Ghostly Presences, each 25x20 cm, oil and perlite of wood, 2025, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
Describe your practice and process. Where do ideas start for you? In the studio or being in the world?
While observing the world around me, reading, or any other activity that concerns observing, I try to take notes of what interests me. I try to pay attention to myself in this sense. Then, these interests get filtered out, and with time, I realize which ideas I should concentrate on. Sometimes, they end up as artworks; others do not.
Untitled, mixed media, 2025, 35x25x26, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
How do you make your work, does it start with a sketch?
I sketch often; other times, I write down sentences or notes of ideas outside the studio. Then, these sketches sometimes end up in paintings or parts of paintings. I like incorporating my drawings into painting practice. Also, I use my old paintings and deconstruct them visually to create something new. I work through trial and error, and when it is finished, I am there. I try to be honest with myself, which helps most.
Untitled, mixed media, size variable, 2025, photo by Zsuzsi Simon
Many artists live by their routines, what does that look like for you?
In the past years, I always listened to music, but somehow, nowadays, I prefer silence. I listen to tiny sounds in the studio, like the sounds coming through the window from the street, the sound of the lights, heaters, and floor. Now, this keeps me more present in the space, and I like this feeling. I drink a lot of coffee, sometimes grab a beer, and look at a finished painting.
2024, my studio in early spring, while I was working on a set of paintings
Who are your biggest influences?
James Ensor, Niko Pirosmani, Dieric Bouts, Goya, The Nabis, and many more.
2024, my studio in early spring, while I was working on a set of paintings
Are there books or films that are an important source of inspiration?
I like reading Boris Groys's books about art. In literature Jorge Luis Borges, Vaja Pshavela, Rumi, Gogol, and many more.
Scene from studio, work in progress
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
I was told by Koka Tsikhelashvili, an excellent contemporary Georgian painter, that I could continue doing this for the rest of my life. I had just started painting back then, and words like this motivated me a lot.
What is the best advice you would give to other artists?
First, be honest with yourself. Listen to others and be humble, but first, listen to yourself and your gut feeling. Be open to critique, but be the first one to critique your own work, and try to be consistent in the quality of honesty!
Portrait of the artist
Stay up to date with Erekle Chinchilakashvili
Website ereklech.com
Instagram @erekle.ch