Calligraphy fest in Tbilisi

On April 14 Georgia is celebrating the Day of Georgian language. On this day the prizewinners of calligraphy contests were named at the National centre of manuscripts of Georgia. Both prizewinners and nomination winners were said.

The “Georgian calligraphy” was started in February 2010 by Georgian Ministry of education and science, National centre of manuscripts and the Nongovernmental organization “TSAMI”.

The contest aims at developing the culture of writing among pupils and revealing their creativity. All the 5-12 grade pupils in Georgian schools, also immigrants took part in this contest.

The contest jury included, apart from artists and fine art experts, three calligraphers: Elena Machavariani – research officer of the National centre of manuscripts, she has a 50-years experience in researching and copying ancient manuscripts; Lasha Kintsurashvili – icon painter, and Levan Chaganava – calligrapher, chairman of the Artists Union of Gerogia, participant of the International exhibition of calligraphy who reports the events.

So, the holiday began. In the first round the contestants were supposed to make a handwritten text of no less than 100 words.

Organizers have received more than 10,000 artworks from all Georgia, and also from Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, USA and Europe.

The jury had to meet four times to choose the best work. Finally they chose 290 contestants who were invited to Tbilisi for the second and third rounds.

 

The second round of the contest took place on March at the National centre of manuscripts. Now, the rivals were to write an original manuscript within three hours by copying a printed text, and then decorated it with initials and such stuff.

To make the task better all they had a pencil, a ruler, eraser and a pair of capillary pens – red and black.

It suddenly turned out the Organizers had complicated the task without any notice to the jury. Now the contests not only had to copy a printed text, but to imitate a medieval manuscript style.

The jury was trying to protest, but the children happened to do the task easily. The “storm” slackened.

Well, a composition of a capillary pen and a 160 gram paper came up to all expectations and everything was all right. More over, the children perfectly used the special paper properties to show the beauty of the Georgian script. The inks slept of the mat surface that helped the contestants easily vary thickness of lines.

What wonderful artworks they are. It is a real great pleasure to watch how a child’s though appears and materializes on paper, how the pen slides on the paper. Organizers were trying not to interfere the creation process. Some photos depict the live moment:

The third round was held on March 29, and 118 young masters participated in it. They were supposed to copy an ancient manuscript imitating the style and skills of an ancient writer, and to keep the general composition of the document. And that was hard too! The jury voted several times, but with one and the same result. In the end, there are two second place winners in the upper group. All in all there were seven prizewinners including the younger group.

And the winner is know at last. The winners were given valuable prizes from the Georgian Ministry of education and science, Georgian National centre of manuscripts, Nongovernmental organization TSAMI, Union of artists and some commercial organizations. Among the winners immigrant children and Georgian citizens.

The Georgian Union of calligraphers was represented in the person of Lasha Kintsurashvili – a miniaturist widely known as an icon painter – who presented the winners with their prizes. They also received presents from Elena Machavariani, an honorable member of the Georgian Union of calligraphers, Doctor of Art history.

The contest artworks are now exposed at the Georgian National centre of manuscripts. It will last for ten days and will tell how children love their homeland scripts.

Levan Chaganava writes: “Well, the children did it excellently. We are proud of our successors. We are happy and sure the next generation will step masterfully in the beautiful and mysterious world of Georgian calligraphy”.

Yes, Georgia has the reason to be happy and to be proud. We heartily congratulate our Georgian colleagues.

Prizewinners’ works




Prizewinners’ works




Prizewinners’ works




Prizewinners’ works




Prizewinners’ works




The winner, David Maisuradze, gets his prize
from the Director of Georgian National centre of manuiscripts Buba Kudava.

After Levan Chaganava’s reports
Photo: Levan Chaganava

Contest video: http://www.youtube.com/chaganava#p/a/u/0/1ZRcOQ2G59A