Georgian Artists at International Auctions
On 31 May 2026, Merab Abramishvili’s Apple of Paradise was offered at Bukowskis’ Helsinki Spring Auction in Finland. The painting had been acquired directly from the artist in Tbilisi by a Finnish collector in the late 1980s.
Estimate: €15,000–20,000
Hammer price: €187,000
Final price (including buyer’s premium): €240,000 (approximately US$273,000; GEL 703,248)
This result establishes a new auction record for a contemporary Georgian artist on the international art market. Particularly significant is the fact that the work has returned to Georgia.
Merab Abramishvili “Apple of Paradise”
tempera on panel
150 × 200 cm,
1988
Baia Gallery has represented Merab Abramishvili since 1992. His work first appeared on the international auction market in 2013.
To date, 55 works by Merab Abramishvili have been offered across 30 international auctions, with 39 sold. His auction history demonstrates a consistent upward trajectory in both prices and market standing.
Merab Abramishvili’s Works at International Auctions — Price Growth Chart by Year. Prices are shown in euros.
Abramishvili’s international auction record began following the exhibition Crossroads at Sotheby’s London (2013–2014), where his paintings The Man-Eater of Kumaon and Paradise were successfully sold. Since then, his work has become a regular presence at major international auctions, establishing a documented sales history that has contributed significantly to the growth of his market index and international reputation.
Merab Abramishvili “Man-eater of Kumaon”
tempera on plywood
75 x 100 cm.
2005
Sold during Sotheby’s exhibition ‘At the Crossroads’. 2013
Within the Georgian art market, Abramishvili’s works often command even higher prices. The sustained and steadily increasing results achieved through leading international auction houses have confirmed the long-term strength of his market and established his oeuvre as a reliable investment. This represents one of the most successful examples of positioning a contemporary Georgian artist within the international art market and developing an enduring artistic brand—a project initiated and realized by Baia Gallery.
Abramishvili’s artistic language, distinguished by its unique synthesis of Eastern and Western cultural traditions, has naturally attracted growing international attention.
Notable auction results include:
- Three Hundred Aragvians, sold at Sotheby’s London in 2016 for €79,413 (£62,500).
- Black Panther, sold at Bonhams London in 2023 for €89,630 (£76,600).
- Bukowskis Helsinki in 2026 is the highest auction result achieved by the artist to date.
Merab Abramishvili ‘Three hundred Aragvians’
tempera on plywood
74.5 x 74.5 cm.
1993
Merab Abramishvili “Black Panther”
tempera on plywood
55 x 75 cm.
1995
Merab Abramishvili “Shah-Abbas”
tempera on plywood
43 x 44 cm.
1994
Offered in Bonhams’ British and European Art sale on 5 July 2023, sold for €52,420 (£44,800).
Baia Gallery has organized five solo exhibitions of Merab Abramishvili’s work, including two major retrospectives:
- Merab Abramishvili, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tbilisi (2016).
- Merab Abramishvili: Transparent Memory (2025–2026).
The Gallery is currently preparing the artist’s catalogue raisonné and continues extensive scholarly research into his oeuvre. More than 700 previously undocumented works have been identified and studied in private collections, while the Gallery’s digital archive now contains documentation for approximately 1,000 works.
Since 1992, Abramishvili’s works have remained continuously on view at Baia Gallery and are actively presented through the Gallery’s publications, website, and digital platforms.
Baia Gallery has published three monographs devoted to the artist:
- Merab Abramishvili (2012)
- Inaccessible Gardens ( Second edition 2025; first published in 2016)
- Transparent Memory (2025)
Leading authority on the work of Merab Abramishvili: Baia Tsikoridze
