GOUDJI, born Elguja Amashukeli (Georgia b. 1941)
Born in Soviet Georgia, Goudji studied sculpture at the Art School of Tbilisi between 1958 and 1962 when he left for Moscow where he started a career as a sculptor with a dream of becoming a goldsmith.

In 1974 he moved to France and became a French naturalized citizen in 1978 where he made jewellery and decorative objects for art galleries.

His first works were torques and brooches after which he went on to create aquamaniles, rhytons, pyxides and animal figures inspired from the classical world.

In 1976 he created the academicians’ sword for Felicien Marceau and thereafter for Helene Carrere d’Encausse, Raymond Barre and Maurcie Allais.

His works are exhibitied in art galleries and museums in France and abroad and have been offered as gifts by French Presidents Francois Mitterand, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.

From 1985 onwards, he designed liturgical works for Notre-Dame de Chartres, amongst others.

A majority of pieces are preserved in private collections.