BÄR-LIN, 6cm
The heraldic animal and protector of Berlin is a bear with red claws and a red protruding tongue. Who knows, perhaps this very image once inspired the Rolling Stones in search of a distinctive symbol?
On the Bear-lin Bear, various interpretations of the heraldic animal can be seen, reflecting the diverse life in Berlin, such as the Business Bear, Super Bear, Europa Bear, or Party Bear. Due to the fantastic diversity of the city, there are naturally also a Dragon Bear and a Unicorn Bear.
Zurab Sumbadze was born in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. He discovered his love of art as a child and wanted to become an artist. His family made up of artists and architects, supported and encouraged him. At 18, he became the chief illustrator of the children's newspaper "Nergi". In 1981, he studied fashion design and in 1983 changed his field of study to become a graphic artist. In 1988 he graduated as a graphic illustrator.While doing his pre-diploma work in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), Zurab Sumbadze met his future wife, a language student from West Berlin, in 1986 and married her a few years later in Tbilisi. In 1989 he went to West Berlin and witnessed the historical events of the fall of the Wall. He initially worked as a freelance artist and illustrator for advertising agencies, publishing houses and other clients (IBM, Gillette GmbH, Melas GmbH, Kaiser's, United Buddy Bears, BVG).
In 2004/2005, he went with his family to La Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, to work intensively there.
After his return to Germany, Zurab Sumbadze again devoted himself to his art.
In the following years, he lived and worked in Los Angeles, California, in Houston, Texas and since 2019, again in Berlin. In autumn 2022, he will leave for France.