Khatia Esartia is a visual artist known for her vibrant and thought – provoking installations and paintings that explore the human condition, blending elements of pop culture, philosophy and history. Esartia’s practice also draws from her watercolor study and synesthesia, often incorporating elements of absurdity and humor into the narratives. She has participated an in various group exhibitions and residencies, including a visiting professorship at VA[A]DS at Free University of Tbilisi, Georgia.

Her most notable works include “Out of the Cave” – a site-specific installation built with soft plastic tubes and black elastic ‘barriers’ at Marisa Newman Projects in 2019. The audience was invited to create their own artwork within the parameters set by the artist using plastic color tubes used for hiding electrical wires. “Out of the Cave” was her second solo show with the gallery and was followed up by the latest exhibition titled “My Sweet Potato/Chapter 7 in 2022 that included paintings of lyrics of pop songs. Visitors were invited to read and sing the lyrics if they wished to. The exhibition explored themes of post-war trauma, isolation and dislocation. In this exhibition, Esartia’s signature character, Fluffy, navigated a surreal landscape filled with references to meme culture. The first solo exhibition that started the collaboration with Marisa Newman Gallery in 2018 was “Ich habe meinen Regenschirm vergessen( I have forgotten my umbrella).” Featuring monumental wallpaper painting installation and watercolor works on paper and board, it was the first exhibition in which Esartia introduced Fluffy as part of the ongoing narrative of. All of the three shows with Marisa Newman Projects were featured on ARTNETS Editor’s Picks.

Aside from working as a painter, Esartia is a children’s book author and illustrator, currently working on a series of illustrated chapter books, of which the first, Fluffy The Lightcatcher and its companion Coloring Book will be released October1, 2025.

Khatia Esartia lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.