Dimitri Tavadze

Dimitri Tavadze (დიმიტრი თავაძე; February 6, 1911 – March 6, 1990) was a Georgian artist and scenographer.

Tavadze was born on February 6, 1911, in the village of Tkhilagani, Kutais Governorate; at that time, Tkhilagani was part of the Russian empire.

In 1926, he graduated from the secondary school of Kutaisi.

During his apprenticeship, he took up drawing lessons together with Petre Otskheli at the art studio under the guidance of Vano Tcheishvili.

In 1926, Tavadze entered Tbilisi State Academy of Arts majoring in painting.

His teachers included Ioseb Sharleman, Gigo Gabashvili, Evgeni Lansere.

Starting in 1927, Tavadze began working at the Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, first as an assistant producer (1927–1930), then as an artist (1930–1948).

In 1932, Tavadze made his artistic debut at the Rustaveli Theatre in O. Samsonidze's play, "The Hoop", directed by Sandro Akhmeteli and Shota Aghsabadze.

In 1933, he made his first artistic appearance outside Georgia in Shakespeare's "Othello" in the Kirovabad Theatre, Azerbaijan.

In 1933, the painter Lado Gudiashvili dedicated a complimentary letter to Tavadze: "Dimitri Tavadze, a young artists was distinguished for consciousness and discretion; he, from the beginning owned the mystery of painting only feasible for rather experienced painters".

Tavadze illustrated over 150 plays in 20 different theaters.

He collaborated renowned directors such as Sandro Akhmeteli, Dimitri Aleksidze, Mikheil Tumanishvili, Robert Sturua, and Irina Molostova.

The majority of Tavadze's projects were staged at the Rustaveli Theatre (57 plays).

Fletcher's comedy "The Spanish Curate" and Pavel Kohout's play "Such Love" won special recognition and success.

Starting 1933, Tavadze participated in a number of exhibitions.

Tavadze's works were displayed numerous times in Tbilisi, as well as in Moscow (1937, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1971, 1979), in Leningrad (1937), in São Paulo (1967) and in the German Democratic Republic (1968).

Subsequently, he was appointed to the position of the chief artist (1948–1976).

Tavadze was awarded the "Honored Art worker" (1950), the "Laureate of the State Prize" (1951), and the "People's Painter of Georgia" (1967).

1960 –

He had personal exhibitions in Tbilisi (1964, 1975 ["Shakespeareana"], 1982) and in Moscow (1971).

Tavadze's works are preserved in the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Moscow, the National Pushkin Museum, Saint Petersburg, the Georgian State Museum of Theatre, Music, Cinema and Choreography, Tbilisi, and the Museum of Rustaveli Theatre.

In addition, some works are preserved in theatres and private collections around the world.

Tavadze's last project was "Do not Abandon the Fire, Prometheus" (Kirovabad – 1983).

Dimitri Tavadze died on March 6, 1990, in Tbilisi.