View sketches by legendary Georgian theatre designer in Batumi

Sketches and complete works by the famous late Georgian stage and costume designer Soliko Virsaladze are being exhibited at the Adjara Museum of Arts in Georgia’s seaside city of Batumi.

For a week-long display, starting this Friday, the Museum will present pieces of work created by Virsaladze for the Sukhishvilebi Georgian National Ballet.

The exhibition, titled The Dancing Colour, aimed to underscore the importance of Virsaladze’s work in developing theatrical design and folk choreography.

Virsaladze (1909-1989) graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts before receiving a Painting and Decoration degree from the Leningrad (now St Petersburg) Academy of Fine Arts in Russia in 1931.

Upon his return to Georgia he worked on costume design for Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili - founders of the now-famous Sukhishvilebi Georgian National Ballet – before becoming a Senior Designer for the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Virsaladze’ sketch for the ballet Raymonda.

In 1957 Virsaladze formed a close artistic relationship with one of Russia’s great classical ballet masters Yuri Grigorovich, creating designs for Grigorovich’s productions in Leningrad as well as Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre including classics The Nutcracker,Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

During his life he won many awards and prizes, notably he was awarded the titles of Merited Worker of Arts of Georgia and the People’s Artist of the Soviet Union.

The Museum of Arts in Batumi was established in 1998 and currently displays 603 items with a focus on paintings, graphical works, ceramics and sculptures. In the past the venue has exhibited works by the famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso and an event dedicated to Norwegian author Knut Hamsun.

The Dancing Colour exhibition will continue until October 1.