Oleg Timchenko

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Oleg Timchenko (born 1957) is a contemporary Georgian painter based in Tbilisi and the founder of the "10th Floor Group." He was born in Old Tbilisi and studied painting at the Tbilisi Academy of Fine Arts. His family’s history of moving between St. Petersburg, Vitebsk and Georgia influences his art, with migration appearing as a frequent theme across different countries, times and cultures.

From 1987 to 1991, Timchenko worked as a painter at the Marjanishvili Theater. He and his friends later created the "10th Floor Group," and he later helped form another group called "Marjanishvili." His early 1980s paintings show ascetic expressionism, which over time gave way to a more explosive color and dynamic brushwork. He blends these approaches, with the divide between them becoming more visible as his work evolves.

Timchenko is drawn to characters—Ophelia, the Sphinx, Infantas, Pontius Pilate, a dwarf—and turns them into scenes with people, animals, toys, plants and objects. These figures become models for new stories, and his art is a process of transformation, turning reality into signs and symbols in a dreamlike world. His works often feature contrasting moods: sadness and joy, beauty and pain, fear and wonder, sometimes touched with a playful kitsch.

One of his best-known works is Ophelia (1996). The painting is tied to water and the idea of beauty and transience. Timchenko has even brought his concept to life through installations: in 1998 in Prague, he projected the image on the Vltava under Charles Bridge; in 1999 in Paris, he projected it over an aquarium the size of the original painting.

Timchenko describes himself as a compassionate, “reactionary” artist who uses personal feeling to explore universal themes. He blends drama, strong emotion, and sometimes grotesque or childlike elements with a nostalgic view of childhood and a search for beauty in every moment. Across his work, he moves between realistic and symbolic imagery, constantly expanding the world and maps of his art. A recurring symbol from his Ali Baba series, the figure tied to a flying crane’s leg, serves as a personal emblem of his journey as an artist.