BIOGRAPHY

David Kakabadze was born in 1889 in the village of Kukhi, in the Imereti region of Georgia. He studied natural sciences and art at the University of Saint Petersburg, graduating in 1916. Early in his career, he dedicated himself to the study of Georgian medieval art and national ornamentation, which remained a central influence throughout his life. His artistic practice consistently sought to unite scientific curiosity with artistic intuition, forming the basis of his unique visual language.

From 1919 to 1927, Kakabadze lived in Paris, where he absorbed the currents of Cubism and Constructivism and experimented with materials such as metal, glass, and mirror. In 1923, he designed a stereoscopic film camera, establishing himself as one of the pioneers of three-dimensional cinema.

Returning to Tbilisi in 1927, Kakabadze became a professor at the State Academy of Arts, where he influenced a new generation of Georgian modernists. 
His avant-garde ideas, however, conflicted with the Soviet doctrine of Socialist Realism, leading to his dismissal from the Academy in 1948. Despite these challenges, he continued to paint, design, and theorize until his death in 1952 in Tbilisi.

Kakabadze’s legacy lies in his remarkable synthesis of science, philosophy, and art. His landscapes of Imereti, abstract compositions, and stage designs embody a deep search for balance between tradition and innovation, making him one of the most important Georgian artists of the 20th century.