Eteri Chkadua is a Georgian-American contemporary artist whose work resonates profoundly with themes of identity, displacement, and the enduring psychological effects of conflict. While not a traditional "war artist" in the documentary sense, her significance as a wartime contemporary artist lies in how she addresses the human and emotional consequences of war, particularly through a deeply personal and symbolic visual language. Chkadua's art is essential in the context of post-Soviet conflict, internal displacement, and the nuanced experiences of women within those landscapes.

Born in Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union), Eteri grew up in a region marked by political upheaval, including the dissolution of the USSR, the Georgian civil wars in the 1990s, and the ongoing tensions with Russia. These events led to widespread displacement and identity crises among citizens, including artists like Chkadua. Her eventual immigration to the United States added another layer to her exploration of dual identity and cultural memory.​​

Her work, therefore, is not centered on the battlefield, but rather on the reverberations of war in domestic, spiritual, and psychological spaces, making her role in contemporary wartime art both unique and essential.

​Chkadua's work often blends magical realism, religious iconography, and surrealistic portraiture. She uses lush, symbolic detail to create mythical and intimately personal images. Her primary subjects are women—frequently herself—in various symbolic guises, standing for broader archetypes of suffering, endurance, and resilience.

Eteri Chkadua's art is part of a broader movement among contemporary diasporic artists who use personal experience to reflect on larger sociopolitical conditions. Her contributions challenge the notion that war art must be documentary or graphic. Instead, she offers a symbolic, introspective, and often surrealistic interpretation that is no less powerful in its critique or emotional impact.

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P. Wilde for astroläbe Contemporary.

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