Andrew North

The Eliava, 2016

Pen and ink drawing on paper, 40 x 400cm

The Eliava Bazroba in Tbilisi is more than just a market selling tools and hardware. It’s a livelihood for hundreds of people, a community and an institution. It is also a story of Georgia’s transition since it re-gained its independence in 1991. Drawn on location in pen and ink, this is a snapshot of this story, depicting the original core of the Eliava. Many of the stallholders have been working there since the early 1990s, selling recycled soviet-era tools and machinery. But the market for their goods is drying up.

Andrew North is a British journalist living in Tbilisi, who also draws and paints. He spent several months in the Eliava Bazroba to draw this panorama. You can see an interactive version of the drawing online: https://eliava.sketchyreports.com/en/