Berdzenishvili Bela

Bela Berdzenishvili’s artistic legacy is a multifaceted, stylistically distinctive phenomenon in the history of Georgian art. Her works are distinguished by a unique sense of form and color, as well as a refined rhythmic balance of line and composition. The artist’s thinking combines painterly and graphic qualities, lending her creations a simultaneously monumental and narrative dimension.

She received her education at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, graduating in 1956. Soon after, she became actively involved in the country’s artistic life — participating in exhibitions from 1958 and beginning her teaching career in 1966. In 1976, she was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of Georgia.

Berdzenishvili’s creative output encompassed both easel painting (Eteri’s Song, At the Old Spring, Landscapes of Svaneti) and graphic art and book illustration. A special place in her oeuvre belongs to the themes of Georgian folk tales and folklore. Her illustrations for The Martyrdom of Saint Shushanik (1975–1976) hold particular cultural significance within her artistic heritage.

Berdzenishvili’s contribution was especially meaningful within the cultural environment of Tbilisi. She is the author of the mural painting in the hall of the Hotel “Iveria” (1967), a work that played a significant role in shaping the artistic and architectural unity of the city at the time and remains an integral part of Tbilisi’s cultural memory. Such projects carried not only decorative but also symbolic importance, as they helped define key visual markers of Tbilisi’s identity.