The exhibition Catalogue of Sensory Data by Nata Varazi and Gvantsa Jishkariani brings together two different artistic styles in a shared emotional and visual dialogue. Through themes of identity, memory, and inner experience, the artists explore personal and sensory moments, creating a powerful and reflective journey for the viewer.
The Why Not Gallery is pleased to present a collaboration with Fabrika Project Space, inaugurating this partnership with the exhibition Catalogue of Sensory Data by Nata Varazi and Gvantsa Jishkariani.
Bringing together two artists whose visual languages and modes of expression might at first appear fundamentally different, the exhibition reveals an unexpectedly seamless dialogue between their practices. However the works interact with such an organic ease, as though shaped by a shared yet unspoken intention. This subtle synchronicity establishes the overall rhythm of the exhibition, allowing it to unfold as a cohesive and immersive environment - a space where contrast does not divide, but instead generates a harmonious and generative symbiosis. The exhibition is permeated by a distinctly atmospheric quality, one that invites the viewer into an emotional and introspective journey. Within this space, layers of thought - shaped and revealed through sensibility - emerge, overlap, and dissolve into one another, forming a fluid and dynamic field of perception. The works do not merely present images or objects; they evoke states of being, encouraging a mode of engagement that is as intuitive as it is reflective.
At the core of this emotional and conceptual dialogue lies an exploration of identity, memory, and inner experience. The artists navigate these themes through personal narratives that, rather than remaining confined to the individual, expand into shared, collective resonances. In this process, intimate histories are transformed into universal emotional landscapes, where the boundaries between the personal and the communal become porous and interchangeable.
Catalogue of Sensory Data can be understood as an archive of lived experience - a gathering of sensations and emotions that are often overlooked, suppressed, or misread as vulnerability. It offers a space in which these affective states are reclaimed and revalued. The exhibition becomes an ode to dreams deemed unattainable, to forms of longing that resist resolution, and to pain that persists beyond the limits of time…and to a strength that, rising from the depths of emotional intelligence, holds the power to create worlds unimaginable.
Nata Varazi (b. 1991, Tbilisi) is a trained lawyer and a self-taught artist. In her practice, Varazi seeks to translate the fantastical and the irrational into visual form. The surreal narratives that unfold in her works capture moments of transition from the real to the unreal, speaking through a language of deeply personal symbolism.
Her work reveals a strong engagement with art history, particularly the influence of Surrealism. Varazi seamlessly merges contemporary concerns with traditional modes of expression, creating a distinctive and compelling dialogue between past and present.
Varazi’s work was first presented publicly in 2022 at The Why Not Gallery in the exhibition Sorry, No Flowers Here. Since then, she has exhibited both in Georgia and internationally, including participation in the group exhibition Tbilisi Independent at Frieze Cork Street, London, in 2024. Her works are held in several important collections, including the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, Tbilisi.
Nata Varazi, Hiding within soft surface, 2022, The Why Not Gallery, Tbilisi
Gvantsa Jishkariani (b. 1991, Rustavi) is a multimedia artist and curator. She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and later completed an informal Master’s program at CCA-Tbilisi, specializing in creative mediation.
Born in the same year that Georgia regained its independence, Jishkariani grew up amid chaos and instability - experiences that have shaped both her personal narrative and the collective memory of her generation. Her artistic practice is largely inspired by the visual language of Soviet propaganda and traditional craft techniques. Through her work, she explores cultural heritage while reflecting on contemporary realities. Humor plays a central role in her practice, often serving as a tool to address both personal and socially significant themes.
Jishkariani’s work has been widely exhibited both in Georgia and internationally, including in New York, Warsaw, Munich, Brussels, Vienna, and beyond. Selected solo exhibitions include Trauma Porn (2025) at Raster Gallery, Warsaw; Dress of a Thousand Oceans (2023) at CH64 Gallery, Tbilisi; I Hate Poetry (2023) and I Dream of Fire (2022) at The Why Not Gallery, Tbilisi; Together Forever (2020) at Open Space, Tbilisi; Permanent Adolescence (2020) at Ballon Rouge, Brussels; Who Will Record History? (2019) at Project ArtBeat, Tbilisi; a Tree (2018) at A01 Gallery, Naples; Reptilians with Wings (2018) at Template, Bucharest; Goods Are Left on the Shelves (2018) at Nectar Gallery, Tbilisi; Savanna Savage (2017) at Project ArtBeat, Batumi; and Whales Are Lonely (2016) at the State Silk Museum, Tbilisi.
Nata Varazi, Hiding within soft surface, 2022, The Why Not Gallery, Tbilisi
Her work has been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions, including the CICA Vancouver Emerging & Mid-Career Art Awards (2025), the Prince Claus Foundation Seed Award (2021), inclusion in Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020), and the Tsinandali Award in Visual Arts (2017). She has participated in several international residency programs, including Lottozero (Italy, 2022), NARS Foundation (New York, 2019), Fotograf Gallery (2019), Binz 39 (Zurich, 2018), and Frauenkulturbüro NRW (Düsseldorf, Germany), among others.
Alongside her artistic practice, Jishkariani maintains an active curatorial career. She is the co-founder of the Tbilisi-based galleries PATARA (2017) and The Why Not Gallery (2018). She curated the Night of Photography program within the Tbilisi Photo Festival (2017–2019) and founded Gar-Gar (2013–2018), Georgia’s first online magazine dedicated to contemporary art and design culture.
Her works are held in significant private and public collections, including the Alain Servais Collection, Collezione Taurisano, the collection of the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates (HRH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan), the Fabio Frasca Collection, Andrea Boghi Collection, Marval Collection, Atinati Collection, TBC Bank Collection, and the State Silk Museum in Tbilisi, among others.
The Why Not Gallery was founded in 2018 by artist Gvantsa Jishkariani and curator Ellene Kapanadze as an experimental, not-for-profit project space. Its first location was a vitrine in an underground passageway in Tbilisi. Since 2020, the gallery has operated from a permanent exhibition space with an active exhibitions program.
From its inception, the gallery has been dedicated to supporting and promoting emerging Georgian artists, often employing unconventional formats and approaches. It actively collaborates with various institutions both locally and internationally. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery runs The Why Not Gift Shop, a project developed in collaboration with artists to produce limited-edition objects. These collaborations translate artistic practices into unexpected formats, resulting in accessible yet unique pieces.
Since 2023, The Why Not Gallery has been a member of NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance)
