Iconic painter Lado Gudiashvili honoured in Tbilisi anniversary exhibitions

Georgia's capital is embracing the legacy of famous painter Lado Gudiashvili (1896–1980) with four anniversary exhibitions to celebrate the 120th birthday of the late artist.

To mark the date, the Lado Gudiashvili Exhibition Hall will host four displays tracing the painter's work from the 1940s to the late years of his creative career.

The first exhibition will open this afternoon and feature the painter’s early works. The display will run until June 19.

A 1923 painting of a French village by Lado Gudiashvili. Photo from Lado Gudiashvili Exhibition Hall/Facebook.

A second event will follow this initial display. From June 22 to October 25, pieces created by Gudiashvili during the 1950s will go on public display.

A third exhibition at the Gudiashvili Hall will run from November 1-15, while the final exhibition from December 1-30 will showcase Gudiashvili's later works.

Considered one of the founders of contemporary Georgian art, Gudiashvili studied at the Tbilisi School of Sculpture and Fine Art in the early 20th Century before continuing his career in Paris, France.

The Exhibition Hall has hosted visitors for a number of displays since its opening in 2011. Photo from Lado Gudiashvili Exhibition Hall/Facebook.

In addition to classical artwork, Gudiashvili's also illustrated books and was involved in theatre design.

The independent artistic thinking and themes evident in his works caused a number of censures from Soviet authorities during his career however the painter gained great popularity among art enthusiasts after his return to Georgia in 1926.

Gudiashvili's name was given to a historic Old Town square in central Tbilisi, while the Exhibition Hall named after the painter opened in the capital in 2011.

The artist's creations will soon be uploaded to a photo gallery on the Google Cultural Institute web project as part of a collaboration between Tbilisi-based Art Palace museum and Google's global art repository project to bring the Tbilisi venue's collections to digital audience worldwide.

Lado Gudiashvili's anniversary exhibitions were organised with support from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall.