Photomanipulation nominee

"In Class Activities (2021)" is a miniature photo-series created during artist's immigration to the US. It reflects on childhood memories of the artist during the post-soviet era Georgia. The series critiques the monotony and dysfunction of the education system of the time while celebrating the boundless imagination of children. It juxtaposes mundane classroom routines with surreal and natural elements, emphasizing how children reimagine their surroundings to create meaning and beauty in constrained environments or how at time they were corrupted by it. The scenes are products of old, fragmented memories of the artist where events, symbols and objects are abstracted and at times extremely exaggerated which speaks to the sensitivity of children's experiences.

By blending memory, critique, and imagination, the series highlights the tension between rigid institutional structures and the creative resilience of childhood, offering a poignant exploration of education and its impact on identity and growth.

Irakli Tchrelashvili (Ika Trey), born in 1997 in the Republic of Georgia, found his passion for art after immigrating to the United States, where he earned a BFA from Rutgers University, specializing in sculpture and photography. At Rutgers, he exhibited widely, served as a teaching assistant, won a gallery award for Above and Beyond (2019), and participated in LOVE 2020 at Columbia University alongside notable artists like Jon Kessler and Edward Mapplethorpe.

In 2022, Ika returned to Georgia to deepen his artistic practice and expand his international presence. His work has since been shortlisted for the Kolga Awards (2023), featured in Country Remains and the Tbilisi Art Fair, and received an Honorable Mention at the International Photography Awards (2024). Ika continues to explore the intersections of sculpture and photography, crafting narratives rooted in his personal journey and cultural heritage that resonate with audiences worldwide.