ReTro Life

c training followed, with three years of courses in architectural graphics, combined with participation in tour competitions. Today Cira considers those three years an important contribution to her artistic development. Advised in the eighth grade to study art in a dedicated art school, Cira’s entered with art and English her main interests, and her efforts soon included the writing of poems and songs. Without the “inside” assistance that was normally used to gain entry into university-level education, she earned, through her performance in a large competition, admission to the Mosé Toidze Art College in Tbilisi. Her four years in the College were happy and productive ones. The wonderful teachers were dedicated to the students and in many cases still maintain contact with them. For some time after graduation, Cira, not interested in seeking fame or gaining any official posiition through her art, allowed her involvement with painting to lapse, although she continued producing ink drawings and aquarelles. But in 2007 a change was brought about in her by an incident at the birthday party of one of her son’s classmates. She saw on the boy’s walls some paintings produced by his artist uncle and found herself wondering why she had foregone ever leaving such a legacy to her own descendants. From that point on, she returned to painting. She had no money with which to purchase the finest materials but worked on nonetheless, devoting every spare moment to her passion. She supplemented her work with teaching painting and Gobelin tapestry-making to small groups of high school students. The possibility of exposing her most personal feelings in such a context did not appeal to her. But in 2010 she entered an exhibition of fine and applied arts organized by trade unions at the Museum of Literature. The event attracted much attention; even the mayor attended; and two of her works were included in the exhibition catalogue. Further participation in exhibitions followed: in 2012, a group show held outdoors in the historic town of Mtskheta; in 2013 a three-month exhibit in the ZP Palace Hotel in Tbilisi; and in 2014, her first personal exhibition in the Mikhail Tumanishvili Theatre in Tbilisi, where two of her paintings are still shown. Thus motivated, she worked with greater energy and attended more exhibitions. She showed her work to the Honored Artist of the Republic of Georgia and then became a member of two Georgian state art unions, participating in several of their exhibitions, including four fund-raisers. And on September 2, 2016 she had her second personal show, called “Stop the Camera!” which was based on scenes from old Georgian and American movies and was hugely successful, drawing much popular feedback, as well as attention on TV, and even resulting in some sales. Samples of her work appear in all six catalogues published by the National Artists’ Union. This March 21, she will be represented in a group exhibition in Tbilisi that will feature sixty artists, with one painting from each. Cira is happy to be an artist, living out her childhood dream and leaving works behind that will be a reminder of her to her son and all others who are dear to her. Her remaining ambitions are to acquire adequate studio space and to have a personal exhibition of her work in Paris. She is confident that she will attain both.