Revaz Zhvania

In 1985, he graduated from the painting faculty of the Sukhumi Art School named after A. Chachba. From 1986 to 1991, he studied at the Tbilisi Art Academy at the painting faculty. During his studies at the academy, he participated in exhibition projects of the "Free Artists" movement. He received the status of a member of the Union of Artists of the Georgian SSR. During his studies, he came to Leningrad several times for summer practice, where he got acquainted with the artistic life of the city: he visited the legendary Saigon cafe, communicated with street artists on Maple Avenue.

In 1992, due to the war in Sukhumi, I moved to St. Petersburg as a refugee. From this period, I worked as a street artist on Maple Avenue, selling my paintings and graphic works, and later the works of other artists at a stand called "Street Gallery". Since 1998, I rented a space at 62 Bolshoy Avenue V.O., where works by Sukhumi and Leningrad artists were exhibited and sold in a closed format. In 1999, I joined the St. Petersburg Creative Union of Artists (IFA) and participated in exhibition projects throughout Russia.

In 2003, Revaz Zhvania decided to officially register the DiDi Gallery brand, which continues to operate successfully to this day. Over 20 years of active operations, the gallery has conducted hundreds of exhibition projects, participated in leading Russian contemporary art fairs, and formed museum and significant private collections. Today, DiDi Gallery represents the legacy of the Leningrad and Moscow underground scenes, as well as promoting its portfolio of contemporary artists.

The launch of the online platform DiDi Gallery Store for young authors from across the country, partnership projects, educational events, and the publication of catalogs have allowed to bring together a community of like-minded people and collectors around the gallery.