BIO
George Bezani is an American multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the fragility of the modern world and the impact of technology on society through contemporary narratives. He earned his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria, and received notable accolades such as the Fondazione Claudio Buziol Prize (Venice, 2008), the Swiss Textile Prize (Zurich, 2009), and the Outstanding Artist award from the Austrian Ministry of Culture BMUKK (Vienna, 2011). Bezani's work has been presented at various venues, including the MAK Museum (Vienna), the Arnhem Biennale, the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao), and CICA Museum (South Korea). In addition to his visual art practice, Bezani spent a successful decade in the fashion industry, working as a designer for his own brand as well as for renowned companies such as 3.1 Phillip Lim and The Row. This extensive experience in fashion design has enriched his artistic perspective and continues to influence his multidisciplinary approach. His work has been featured and discussed in The New York Times, Vogue Ukraine, Wallpaper*, Der Standard, Die Presse, Harper's Bazaar Japan, and Artforum, among others.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Lives and works in New York City
Education
2011 MFA , Fashion Department, University of Applied Arts, Vienna, AT
2004 BA, Architecture, Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, GE
Group Exhibitions
2024 The Red Show, Galerie Shibumi, New York City, NY
2024 Uncharted Waters: Technological Imprints, curated by Yige Bai and Yifan Liu, A Space Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2024 Memory of the Existing and the Imaginary, Contemporary Art Chronicle, San Francisco, CA
2024 Change, Usagi NY Space, Brooklyn, NY
2024 Just Imagine by Liquitex, 99 Scott, Brooklyn, NY
2024 Objects Without (Home), curated by Annie Ziyao and Bebe Uddin, :iidrr Gallery, New York City, NY
2023 MVA Open Studios - Liquitex AIR Residents, East Orange, NJ
2023 Gagosian Gallery Staff Exhibition, Gagosian 541 West 24th Street, New York City , NY
2023 Breath, CICA Museum, Gyeonggi-do, KOR
2022 Speaklow, Brooklyn, NY
2020 Show Off , MAK Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, AT
2018 Mode als Statement, Galeriefreihausgasse, Villach, AT
2016 NJAL at Waldorf Astoria Hotel, curated by Stefan Siegel, New York City, NY
2011 BMUKK Outstanding11, RadioKulturhaus, Vienna, AT
2011 Arnhem Biennale, curated by Carlo Wijnands, Arnhem, NL
2010 Bilbao International Art & Fashion Competition, Guggenheim Bilbao, ESP
Residencies
2022 Liquitex Residency Program, East Orange, NJ
2010 Master Class in Master Crafts by Camper, Mallorca, ESP
Awards
2023 Art Vue Foundation Award, Brussels, BE
2022 Liquitex Award, New York City, USA
2011 Outstanding Artist Award supported by the Austrian Ministry of Culture BMUKK , Vienna, AT
2011 Der Standard - Rondo Voeslauer Award, Vienna, AT
2009 Swiss Textiles Sponsorship Prize, Zurich, CH
2009 SONG Concept Store Prize, Vienna, AT
2008 Fondazione Claudio Buziol Prize, Venice, IT
Publications
Fashion - Aus der Kostüm- und Modesammlung by Elisabeth Frottier, Birkhäuser Verlag 2017, AT
Menswear: Fashion Forward Designers by Louis Bou, Instituto Monsa de Ediciones 2012, ES
Fashion 2 by Friederike Krump, alt/cramer publishers 2012, Berlin, DE
The Poetry of Fashion Design by Paz Diman, Rockport publishers 2011, USA
Master Class in Master Crafts by Camper, Nova Era Barcelona 2010, ESP
Press
The New York Times, Style.com Magazine, Citizen K, Fashionisto, Amarta, Peng! Magazine, Vogue Ukraine, Wallpaper*, Der Standard - Rondo, Tabula, Diva, GQ Russia, Cosmopolitan, Boulevard Magazine, Die Presse, Harper's Bazaar KZ, Maxima, uMag, Falter, Dash Magazine, FLUX, Missy Magazine, Harper's Bazaar Japan, XII Magazine, FAQ Magazine, Vogue Japan, Artforum.
Interview with Suboart Magazine
October Issue nr. 30, 2024 Lisbon, Portugal
by Nina Seidel
NS: Hello George, thank you for taking your time to answer our questions. We start all our interviews with a little time travel. What were your beginnings in the arts? Was that in childhood?
GB: Yes, definitely, from the age of 10 I found myself captivated by the visual world, diving into the pages of museum collection catalogues and artist monographs. They felt like portals to different eras and creative minds. My curiosity for art quickly turned into a lifelong habit of collecting these books, catalogues and journals. I’ve amassed volumes that chronicle the works of artists from a variety of countries and periods, each offering a distinct lens of human experience. As a child, each time I visited someone’s home, my first instinct was to explore their library. I would lose myself in the pages of books that unveiled something new, something visually intriguing. These impressions stayed with me — stored in a vault of my memory. Later, I would reinterpret them on paper, not as direct replications but as re-imagined compositions. My memories impregnated my imagination to give birth to new perspectives. I often took the liberty to alter details that didn't quite resonate with me. It was a process of reconstruction, bending the world I remembered into shapes and forms that felt more aligned with my vision.
NS: Later on, you studied Architecture and you hold a MFA from the Fashion Department of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria. You also worked in the fashion industry for many years. Can you please tell us more about your path towards becoming a professional artist?
GB: Growing up in a conservative household, the pursuit of an artistic career was never entertained. The idea of becoming an artist was removed from the realm of possibilities, so I ended up studying architecture at the Technical University. This detour put my creative process on hold, placing painting as artistic expression at a distance. Yet, it seems that the pull of destiny is impossible to resist. After a long journey, I found my way to Vienna at the renowned Modeklasse — Department of Fashion Design of the University of Applied Arts. It was there, under the guidance of my remarkable teacher Veronique Branquinho, that I experienced a period of profound creative freedom. Those were the years of self-discovery from various angles, far beyond a formal education. With the opportunity to experiment endlessly, I unearthed my voice as an artist. Frequent visits to European museums and galleries enriched my artistic vision in ways I hadn't imagined were possible, feeding my streams of inspiration. For me, fashion became merely another medium through which I could "paint”, bringing my ideas to life and forming my artistic universe.
Looking back at those collections, they feel strikingly relevant to today’s conversations. My meditations on androgynous dress code, gender fluidity concepts, are now becoming more prominent in urban centers across the world. This fills me with a sense of fulfillment. Yet, overtime the fashion industry began to feel like a cage. Creative forces and potential of many talented designers were overshadowed by the industry's focus on statistics, market demands, merchandising strategies — elements that, to me, stand in opposition to creativity. My artistic path started to unfold naturally, away from the constraints of an industry in flux, towards a place where my visions could flourish without limitations.
NS: Let’s speak about your work now. In you statement you write, “My work interrogates the intimate and often tenuous moments of queer existence, exploring the intersections of vulnerability and uncertain self-esteem within the broader context of 21st-century society's dependence on digital data.” Can you please tell us more about your work and why the technological dependence of nowadays society is so important to you?
GB: Queer existence today remains in jeopardy, despite many hard-won victories of the LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. It’s a constant battle, perpetual combat for survival. This matter is of a paramount significance for me; therefore it naturally finds its place in my work. Often, I depict figures set against vibrant, abstract backdrops, isolated beings, which without a choice are forced to navigate heteronormative dogmas to carve out some space for themselves. Parallel to this, it’s obvious that global economy is dominated by a certain techno-feudalism. Humanity’s dependency on technology today, is unprecedented. Social media, the overwhelming tsunamis of manipulated information and the A.I, often feels like pouring acid on a human brain, to see which parts of it will remain active. It’s fascinating to observe how our physical and mental selves are gradually morphing with digital age. A human body, once purely organic, now consolidates with something completely inorganic. Our mind grows increasingly reliant on fleeting escapes and instant gratification. Combination of these observations and thorough research, form the core of my artistic practice. On a broader level, these processes are leading us away from the interconnected world we once hoped technology would foster. The biggest paradox is that those very tools, which should have broken down the barriers and borders to unite us, are in fact separating and polarizing us to unimaginable extent. In my paintings, I strive to capture this collective escapism, which I believe is creating a new form of human existence. It’s marked by isolation, decreasing shared experiences, which have been vital, since the dawn of time. Exploring how modern technology makes us communicate or even perceive and manage time is gripping. It’s a new model of alienation and I find it striking and apprehensive at the same time. I see myself as a magnifier, both zooming in on the granular details of these changes and stepping back to observe the wider landscape. It’s a dual lens, analyzing the complexities of the moment.
NS: I read that you are also interested in social media related phenomena such as filter bubbles, distraction, the loss of attention span, techno-fatigue, and social amnesia. At what point in your life have these topics become of interest to you and is your choice to speak about them through your practice related to personal experience?
GB: I never approach my research in isolation. I immerse myself in a diverse array of sources, from scientific studies, to books, podcasts, Q&As, screenings, exhibitions, discussions and summits, that explore the nuances of current social and cultural dynamics. This interdisciplinary approach allows me to grasp the constant mutation of the world around us. One of the advantages I’m grateful for is my ability to speak multiple languages, which opens up a broader spectrum of international media, enriching my perspective. Being a New Yorker also helps to keep my finger on the pulse and observe the latest developments. This city is an endless source of inspiration. I have the luxury to examine the disconnection that defines modern reality on daily basis. People are driven by their gadgets, rather than being in charge. They barely notice the architecture, or nature or other humans around them. Even those who make up the working class, individuals at the heart of the city’s labor force, often seem trapped in the same digital daze. They spend hours staring at their screens, even at work, gradually becoming more detached from the world they physically occupy or once knew. What mesmerizes me, as an artist is how technology, particularly biased algorithms and filter bubble, pulls people into endless rabbit holes of distraction. These cyber ecosystems encourage a kind of lethargic state, which weakens cognitive abilities and shortens attention spans, contributing to "techno-fatigue." These societal shifts, fragmented mental state and physical disengagement, fuel my artistic vision. Translating these conditions into my paintings is a challenge I embrace. Capturing the dissonance of a world where people exist side by side, but are often light years apart, mentally and emotionally.
NS: Something that stood out to me when I read about your work was that your colour palette is derived from CT scan and surveillance camera imagery. Can you please tell me more about that?
GB: Vigilance, digital voyeurism, data collection have become ubiquitous in today’s world, with a wide array of devices constantly tracking and cataloging our behavior. It felt both natural and intellectually compelling to incorporate these themes with their shapes and colors into my work, filtering them through the mark-making technique I’ve developed over the years. Capturing figures as they are being observed through a surveillance lens, I’m echoing the pervasive presence of technology as the ultimate intruder, scrutinizing our most intimate moments. Reality shows started laying ground for this 25 years ago. Now we all live in our own version of The Truman Show. Privacy is becoming the ultimate luxury, and what’s fascinating is that unlike a totalitarian regime, here we voluntarily participate in this. Surveillance has transcended physical spaces and entered new, far more disturbing territories, through neuro technology and advanced scanning. Our thoughts, emotions, and patterns are being mapped and modified. This evolution of privacy violation is something that interests and disturbs me. It highlights the fragility of human autonomy in a world dominated by invisible, yet omnipresent forces. In this context, I find the term "abstract realism" to be an apt descriptor of my work. It captures the tension between reality and the abstraction that I aim to explore, where hyper surveilled human figure exists in fragmented, distorted spaces, embodying the intersection of the real and the surreal. The figures in my paintings may seem removed from the tangible world, yet they are rooted in a very contemporary reality, one where technology alters not just how we live, but how we perceive and experience our own existence.
NS: The second big topic in your work is climate change and I’m a big fan of your gorgeous landscape paintings. Can you please tell us more about them and why it is important to you to speak about the climate change and the environment?
GB: Both, the human condition and the environment are inextricably linked. The toll exacted from one, inevitably impacts the other. We are seeing this everyday. Humans are part of the natural world, so when ecology around us enters a state of crisis, it affects us. This link is something I’ve been exploring more and more in my work. I began incorporating human figures into landscapes where extinct or endangered species are depicted in state of grief, despair, and helplessness, unable to combat the overwhelming crises, often caused by humans. In today’s society, where individuals often find themselves isolated in their own informational bubbles, escapism is rampant. It becomes nearly impossible to unify people, even around such pressing issues like climate change. People are so deeply entrenched in their own digital reality that the collective will to address these existential problems feels fragmented, if not entirely absent. Yet, despite the gravity of it all, I strive to find moments of beauty and resilience. My paintings reflect this duality, as I seek to depict both the devastation and the endurance of life amidst environmental collapse. Works such as The Quickening (2023) or Albedo (2024) explore different facets of the climate crisis, its stages, its impact, and its haunting presence. Through my art, I aim to portray not just the sorrow and struggle of these times, but also the profound, often overlooked moments of beauty that still persist in the face of destruction.
NS: I saw that your most recent pieces- both the human figures and landscapes - belong to your series “_TenShen_.” I’m curious what the name means and if there is any piece of the series you’d like to speak about more in detail?
GB: I’ve been working on this series since 2021. Delving into the ever-growing tensions, both literal and metaphorical that seem to define our current world. For the title of the series, I intentionally use the parenthetical form of the word "tensions," reflecting its multifaceted nature and the layers of meaning that emerge as these pressures continue to mount. These tensions are more pronounced, driven by the escalation of global conflicts, the relentless pace of technological revolution and the undeniable impacts of the climate change. All of this is happening within the framework of an attention economy, where every moment of focus is a monetized commodity, making it increasingly difficult to address this chaos in any meaningful way. In this body of work, I explore the overlapping pressures, attempting to visualize not just their immediate impact, but also the ripple effects they create in the broader fabric of human life. The series captures this volatile intersection—where the forces of technology, environmental degradation and societal fragmentation converge, creating a world that feels both over stimulated and increasingly fragile. Through this ongoing exploration, I aim to portray the precariousness of our times, while probing the possibility of finding balance amidst the chaos.
NS: You mainly work with acrylic on canvas and paper and a characteristic of your work is your exclusive use of short lines to construct your pieces. Have you always painted this way or did that happen over time in your practice?
GB: The evolution of my work has been a slow, deliberate process, shaped by years of experimentation, in-depth research, and an unwavering commitment to the creative journey. Nothing about it has been rushed or accidental—it’s been a constant flow of trial, discovery, and refinement. I often think about Picasso’s famous words: “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” That sentiment always resonates with me.
NS: A question we always ask is about the creative process. How does yours look like? How do you usually get from an idea to a finished piece or series?
GB: My process is always evolving, and it varies from one piece to the next. I rarely sketch in the traditional sense—most of the assembling happens in my mind, where I gather and layer thoughts, emotions, and imagery. I also collect visual references in my scrapbooks, which serve as an ongoing archive of inspiration. Reading has always been a key part of my creative fuel, though at this point, I already have an extensive subject matter base for the series I’m working on. Most of my process is deeply intuitive. That element of discovery is a significant part of my practice, and it keeps me engaged throughout the long, labor-intensive process.
NS: Speaking about work, what are you currently working on and/or is there any upcoming event or project you’d like to share with us?
GB: I approach my practice with a strong sense of discipline, following a structured schedule that allows me to immerse myself fully in my work. Right now, I’m deeply focused on continuing my TenShen series, which remains a compelling subject for me. The themes it explores feel limitless, providing endless inspiration and material to dissect, reflect on, and ultimately express through my paintings. In addition I am working on several upcoming exhibitions, including a group show in New York City this October and another one in Zurich next April.
NS: Your work has been shown in many important venues such as the Arnhem Biennale, the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao) and MAK Museum (Vienna), for example. What does the recognition of your work mean to you and has it influenced how you approach your practice?
GB: It’s truly exhilarating when one’s work garners recognition and finds its way into esteemed venues. Such exposure amplifies the resonance of the work, reaching diverse audiences across the globe and inviting them into a rich dialogue. In this exchange, questions emerge, and individuals are encouraged to seek their own answers or, at the very least, become acquainted with these profound inquiries. Yet, I find that this external acknowledgment holds little sway over my creative process. My focus remains steadfast on the work itself, unfettered by external considerations.
NS: And let’s wrap up with five last questions. First, if there was only one thing that people could take away from your work, what would you want that to be?
GB: It’s a challenging question because each individual brings their own unique perspective and interpretation. However, if I were to distill my response, I would say that my work reflects an acute awareness of the transformations unfolding around us—particularly the evolving dynamics of communication and cultural shifts.
NS: Next, who or what have you been interested in or inspired by lately?
GB: I recently returned from an awe-inspiring Pacific coast road trip, I took with my friends. The sublime beauty of nature left me spellbound. Wondering through jaw-dropping national parks in the states of Washington, Oregon and California - especially the Redwoods – total out-of body experience. Felt like entering an entirely different realm, a serene escape from New York City's endless concrete chaos. The experience was particularly surreal, as I found myself among moss-covered trees that seemed to have emerged straight from my own landscape paintings. This was my first encounter with such unique flora, previously unseen even in photographs and it proved to be an immense source of inspiration that I anticipate will significantly influence my forthcoming work.
In the midst of this nature-infused revelation, I’ve been deeply engrossed in El Greco’s paintings and the ethereal “Angels of Pompeii,” drawn to their color palettes and textures which resonate with the creative challenges I’m currently addressing. The floating figures in El Greco’s work also echo my recent experience at Doug Wheeler’s immersive installation at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York, further intertwining my artistic pursuits. Books, as always, remain a cherished source of exploration for me. I recently delved into Annie Ernaux’s The Years, captivated by its profound examination of the past and the passage of time. Walter Benjamin’s Essays and Reflections has been immensely enriching and I just begun Yuval Noah Harari’s latest work, Nexus, - it’s already asserting itself as an essential read in my collection.
NS: Any advice you’d like to share with fellow artists, especially with those just starting out in their career?
GB: Career is a strong word – a separate entity that often needs management and staff; I just do what I do. My only advice is always - stay as true to yourself as possible.
NS: Any fellow emerging artists you’d like to recommend?
GB: I’m uncertain whether these artists can still be classified as emerging, given their established reputations but I thoroughly enjoyed Josh Klein’s installation at the Whitney Museum, which left a lasting impression. I also have a deep admiration for the work of painter Xie Lei, whose art I discovered last year and found profoundly compelling. When it comes to emerging talent, Anthony Cudahy’s work stands out as particularly noteworthy, showcasing a fresh and distinctive vision that is truly exciting.
NS: And last question, what are your hopes for the future?
GB: Clearly we are standing on the edge of a precipice, somewhat crossing of an era. Next few years will determine the direction we take as creatures in charge of this planet. I believe that embers of hope, with the possibilities we have, are worth pursuing. Despite its fragility, despite the chaos, desire of building a better future is the beacon we have to seek and cherish.
NS: Thank you!