"Sugar Cubes" features Babaevi's artistic vision in a variety of media, including drawings, sculpture, installation, and textile works. The exhibition's title evokes the paradox of sweetness and structural fragility, evoking the delicate yet resilient quality of the subjects and the deep societal roots Babaevi is exploring.

In her own words, Babaevi explains, "Within my Azerbaijani heritage, my genetic tree diverges into two roots—one representing my personal peace, and the other embodying the struggles of women. Positioned behind a metaphorical wall, I embrace a mission to speak on behalf of women who live for others, inhabiting bodies not their own. Born into a futureless existence, they reside in houses with white walls, devoid of windows, and wear somber black dresses. The wall becomes a symbolic barrier that separates their suffering from the outside world. In the midst of this intricate journey, I am driven by the belief that traditions should not transform into brutal forces. They possess the potential to enrich lives rather than restrict them."

Central to the exhibition are Mari’s textile installations, where she constructs negative spaces of dresses in stuffed fabric. These hollow forms are installed as walls within the gallery, half-empty yet maintaining their shape, symbolizing the invisible presence and enduring strength of women confined by societal expectations, cultural and religious demands. Scattered ceramic shoes, reminiscent of ants fleeing confinement, climb the walls and sprawl across the floor, overtaking the space, but still, somehow staying invisible.

Babaevi's drawings enrich the narrative with surrealistic imagery, including double-faced self-portraits and repetitive depictions of dresses and a house. These motifs extend into a felt sculpture of a dress and its shadow, which stands prominently at the exhibition's center.

Through "Sugar Cubes," Babaevi seeks to transform traditions into sources of empowerment rather than restriction.

Mari Babaevi (b. 2003, Tbilisi, Georgia) is a young artists whose practice includes variety of media: Drawing, painting, textile and installation art. She studies at Visual Arts, Architecture and Design School VAADS in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Patara Gallery is supported by Tbilisi City hall.