From Tbilisi to New York: The Artful Journey of Tamara Shaishmelashvili

Born on Pirosmani Street in the historic heart of Tbilisi, Georgia—a place once home to the legendary artist Niko Pirosmani—Tamara Shaishmelashvili (Toma) was destined for a life touched by creativity. From a young age, her world was filled with color, form, and imagination. Sewing clothes for her dolls, crafting accessories, and presenting her handmade treasures to family and friends, she was a child guided by an innate passion for beauty and expression. That love for art came naturally—passed down from her uncle, a gifted artist whose influence sparked her earliest dreams.

Though Tamara pursued a more technical path—graduating from the Georgian Polytechnic Institute as an engineer—her creative heart never quieted. Drawing and designing were her peaceful escapes, artistic whispers in the background of a busy life filled with love, marriage, and motherhood. While her family became her focus, and art quietly stepped aside, her spirit remained loyal to it. Even late into the night, while the world slept, she continued to make beautiful things for herself and her close circle.

In 2003, Tamara made a bold leap—moving to the United States as an adult, ready to begin again. It was not an easy transition. But the bright lights of New York, its rich diversity and boundless creative energy, rekindled something in her. What had once been a hobby now began to blossom into a profession. In this new world, Tamara reclaimed her artistic identity—and began to shape a legacy.

Her works—painstakingly handcrafted from genuine leather, adorned with natural stones, Swarovski crystals, fur, Czech beads, and sculpted porcelain—are as unique as her journey. She designs with soul, giving old materials new life and transforming them into portraits, still lifes, dancing dolls, clowns, and vibrant accessories. Every piece tells a story. Every detail carries a memory.

A proud member of the American Association of Artists and Craftsmen since 2018, Tamara has exhibited her works across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Her creations have appeared in GMARO magazine in New York and several Georgian publications, reaching admirers across continents. Her art has found homes with friends, collectors, and even celebrities—each item a one-of-a-kind gift, as giving is her second great joy.

The Georgian diaspora in New York knows her well. Each year at the cultural celebration Tbilisoba City Day, Tamara stands among dancers, singers, artists, and actors—offering her heritage, her talent, and her heart to the community she calls her own.

Inspired by a visit to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, she began crafting intricate holiday decorations, each taking 5–6 hours and never replicated. “Every piece brings happiness,” she says. And that happiness is contagious.

Tamara Shaishmelashvili is not just an artist. She is a dreamer, a giver, a woman who found a second beginning in a new country and turned her lifelong passion into a thriving, soulful art form. Her work continues to evolve, with plans for future exhibitions in Georgia and California. Through every canvas, every ornament, every sculpture—Tamara is a living example that it’s never too late to begin again, and that true art always finds its way home.