Letter To The Government 2022 Oil on canvas 80 x 56 in. (203.2 x 142 cm)

The Blue Nomad from the Alien Bloom planet addresses the current government of Georgia, my native country, calling for the immediate release of Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia.

President Saakashvili was arrested on October 1, 2021, on what were described as politically motivated charges following his return to Georgia. He was denied certain fundamental rights guaranteed under international humanitarian law, and while in prison he was allegedly poisoned with heavy metals, including arsenic and mercury.

After studying at Columbia University in New York City, Mr. Saakashvili returned to Tbilisi, Georgia. During his presidency (2004–2013), he helped bring the country out of the turmoil of post-Soviet Georgia—a society deeply affected by anarchy and civil conflict. During his administration, Georgia became one of the leading reforming nations among developing countries.

The arrest and destruction of Mr. Saakashvili will be remembered as a grave mistake in the history of Georgia and will only serve as a gift to the Kremlin—something future generations of Georgians will not forgive.