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 Shalva Kikodze (1894 –
1921)
Painter, graphic designer, one of the important representatives of the
Georgian avant-garde art.
Was born in 1894 in
the village of Bakhvi, Georgia.
In 1902-1912 he studies at Tbilisi Noblemen’s Gymnasium.
In 1914 in
order to get higher education he was admitted at the faculty of Law at Moscow
University as a grantee of the “Society for Dissemination of Reading and
Writing among Georgians”.
In 1916-1918 he studies at the department of painting at the Institute
of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Moscow.
He collaborates with the theatrical journal “Рампа и Жизнь'' (Footlights and
Life) in Moscow where he publishes graphic and portrait sketches under the
pseudonym “Chaliko”. He also collaborates with the Moscow theatre-cabaret
“Bat”.
In 1916 he participates in the activities of the first professional
social-cultural organization “Society of Georgian Artists” as well as in the
artistic-scientific expeditions arranged by Ekvtime Takaishvili and Dimitri
Shevardnadze.
After returning to Georgia in 1918 he was elected as the secretary of
the “Society of Georgian Artists”.
As early as 1914 during the studies in Moscow he collaborates with
Georgian periodic press – with comic magazine “The Lash”, “Devil’s Whip”; with
famous theatrical journals: “theatre and Life”, “Theatre and Music”; Russian
journal “Art” published in Tbilisi. He publishes very special and full of humor
caricatures and cartoons on artists, writers, poets, theatre directors. He is a
member of editorial board and writes reviews.
From 1918 he works as a stage designer at the theatrical studio formed
by the former Paris Antoine Theatre stage-director Giorgi Jabadari. The stills
of the performances have not survived.
In 1919 the “Society of Georgian Artists” sent him to Paris to complete
artistic education.
Already in 1921 he exhibits his works in Paris art galleries: La Licorne and Salon des indépendants.
In Paris Shalva Kikodze performed two stage-scenery orders from the
stage-director Vaso Kushitashvili - one
for the theatre L’Ateliere which was led by Charles Dulen and Vaso
Kushitashvili, and the other for the Odeon.
In August 1921 Shalva Kikodze was diseased with tuberculosis and went to
Freiburg, Germany from Paris and died there.
His grave is lost.
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