THESE astonishing psychedelic images were painted by the great-grandson of Joseph Stalin – who has spoken about studying at the Glasgow School of Art.
Jacob Dzhugashvili, who shares a surname with murderous ancestor Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili – better known as Joseph Stalin – studied at Glasgow School of Art in the 1990s.
Just like many young art students of the time, Dzhugashvili, now 45, loved to listen to trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack and Portishead.
Dzhugashvili received a £6000 grant from the Georgian authorities to study in Scotland.
He was taught by GSA stalwart James Robertson. During his studies, between September 1994 and June 1997 while enrolled on a BA Fine Art, Drawing and Painting course , Dzhugashvili told few people of his links to the former Russian leader, but some friends guessed anyway. Dzhugashvili said: “I told it to those I became close with – and only after they have guessed my relationship with Stalin.
“The common reaction is curiosity. I think the name is just a container – it depends on you what you fill it with. My friends didn’t care about my name, they cared about our friendship.
“As I was communicating with people of the same age as me there was only curiosity and it didn’t last long. Personality – that what matters, not identity.”
Dzhugashvili recalled smoking cigarettes out the front of the Mackintosh building after students were banned from lighting up in the studios.
There were aspects of Scotland which reminded him of home. The artist added: “I remember Irn-Bru – as far as I recall, it tasted like the pear lemonade we had in the USSR.”
Dzhugashvili spoke of his sadness at the two devastating fires which have ravaged the building and left its future in doubt.
He said: “Very often I walked through the corridors, inner stairs and studios of the Mac and it was very relaxing. It was sort of my personal alternative to a cigarette break.”
Nearly 30 years after he first enrolled on a course, Dzhugashvili said his years in Glasgow had a lasting influence on him.
His stunning psychedelic landscapes and other works, painted with oil and enamel, are sold by online gallery Saatchi Art and have been exhibited around the world. But he recalled with fondness his first collector, John Mann, who was also his landlord and who died several years ago.
Dzhugashvili said: “I’d like to thank Leonora and John for being extremely friendly and kind to me during the whole period of my stay in Glasgow.
“To be honest I liked that place so much that I didn’t even think of moving to another place.
“I will always remember with great warmth and respect my tutors, and of course I love to remember and think about my friends I lived with at Woodlands Terrace.”
Dzhugashvil now lives in Moscow. he and his wife Nino Lomkatsi – who is also an artist – have a nine-year-old daughter, Olga.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel