Madonna, dimensions: 11" x 14" on Fujifilm Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper, signed lower right by Irakly Shanidze (Russia) . Irakly Shanidze was born in Tbilisi in 1968. He was graduated from the Chemistry Department Moscow State University with MS in Chemical Enzymology. In 1993, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, US, where he pursued PhD in Pharmacology/Molecular Biology at Wayne State University and then MPH/MHSA in University of Michigan, School of Public Health. Concurrently he studied at New York Institute of Photography and was graduated in 2000.Photography became a part of Irakly's life at the age of 12 after he received a pre-war Reflex Korelle from his grandfather as a gift. While studying at Moscow State University he contributed to the University newspaper "Вестник Московского Университета."[translation?] When on a military duty (1987–1989), Irakly held a position of a staff photojournalist at a regional military newspaper "Слава Родины".In 2000, Irakly opened a photo studio in Detroit, USA. In 2004, he partnered with Pavel Kiselev to open International Academy of Photographic Arts.[1] In 2004–2007, he was commissioned by a mime theater "Лицедеи"[2]Irakly Shanidze's fine art work has found a place in permanent collections of Fotoloft Gallery, Moscow,[3][4] River Edge Gallery, Wyandotte, Michigan.[5] His photos have been shown at the State Exhibition Center Manezh, St. Petersburg,[6] The Museum of Russian Art (MORA)[7]As an advertising photographer, he has performed jobs for such multinational corporations as Japan Tobacco International, Lexar Microsystems, Inc.,[8] Leica Camera AG.He published a number of articles on Photography,[9][10][11][12][13][14]Irakly's photography features multiple unusual techniques that he himself invented, or perfected.He creates his Images with minimal, or no digital post-production by employing mirrors, subversive lighting setups, etc.He is one of the few photographers in the world who relies exclusively on Leica M camera equipment for his advertising work.Professional projects in the field of Advertising Photography vary between the 'straight' (though rarely totally so) style of well-lit and executed studio work and the intricate application to commercial purposes of his subversive and symbolic style, sometimes involving complex pseudo-real setups intended to imbue the product with the spontaneity and style of street life. His recent collection of images created for Japan Tobacco International as a symbolic representation of their brand "Sobranie" showcases the latter.[15]Much of his personal work is most tidily described as 'street' though it is in fact rather different from classical street photography in that he places greater emphasis on the imagined and the surreal. Whether it is a series of images in which strangers on the subway gradually emerge as spies,[16] or individual images in which found scenes take on allegorical overtones as a result of the manner in which their elements are juxtaposed, nothing in Shanidze's work is ever what it immediately seems. Whether subtly mocking a classical painting or using strongly symbolic elements, Shanidze invites the viewer to subvert his own views of the real in the process of decoding the surreal.[17][18][19][20]At the time of writing Shanidze has exhibited his work in more that twenty personal and group shows in the USA, Canada and Russia. He has published more than a hundred photographs and numerous articles in American and Russian magazines and web sites. He is a founder of the International Academy of Photographic Arts, and a visiting professor at Moscow Academy of Photography where he actively teaches the artistic side of photography online. He also holds seminars and workshops across the US and Europe.Currently resides and works in Detroit, Michigan, US. Recently his interest shifted heavily towards visual representation of classical dance. Among his clients are: Ballet Detroit Foundation, ArtlabJ and accomplished performers such as Alisa Sodoleva (Mariinsky Theatre), Keenan Kampa (Mariinsky Theatre, Boston Ballet), Viktoria Ananyan (Dutch National Opera and Ballet), Patricia Zhou (Berlin National Ballet), Olga Pavlova (formerly Bolshoi Theatre), Anton Korsakov (Mariinsky Theatre), Sergei Sidorsky (Kiev Theatre of Opera and Ballet), Daniil Simkin (American Ballet Theatre). Editor-in-chief "Moving with Detroit magazine"