Gallery Portal 11 presents personal exhibition by Maria Levitska
«Dressing the Opera».
08.05.2021 – 30.05.2021.
“Dressing the Opera” – an exhibition of works by the main artist of the National Opera of Ukraine – Maria Levitska. The exhibition presents sketches of costumes for world-famous performances, such as “Macbeth”, “La Gioconda”, “Madness of Love”, “Scheherazade”, “It’s hard to be God” and others.
Theatrical costumes have the ability to speak the language of drama, where each element of the outfit represent a mood, an intention, life story of the hero, told by the color of the skirt or the shape of the pants.
In costume sketches, Maria Levitska creates a unique combination of haute couture, music, history and movement: “Both in opera and in ballet: music and its movement are the main things. When I made my first “Cinderella”, the scenery changed along with the music: in time – went up, in time – went down, slowly-fast… Ballet costume is a flight. The costume should not interfere with the dancer and fly with him or behind him.
Maria Levitska is a theatrical production designer and costume designer. Since 1989 Maria Levitska has been working as the Art Director General of the National Opera of Ukraine.
She is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine, a corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine, a laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize (2003), theatre arts prize “Kyivska Pektoral” and “The Person of the Year – 2000” prize, a bearer of the Order of Princess Olga of a 3rd Class. She was awarded the highest state award of the Italian Republic, which can be awarded to foreign citizens – the Order of the Star of Italy (2016).
Maria Levitska graduated from Kyiv State Art Institute (the Department of Theatre Set Design of the Faculty of Painting and the workshop of the People’s Artist of Ukraine, prof. D. Lider). She used to work as a production and clothes designer at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. This work resulted in the following films: “The Return of Butterfly” (directed by O. Fialko), “Karmalyuk” (H. Kohan), “Potsilunok” (“The Kiss”) (R. Balayan), “Kapitan Frakas” (“Captain Fracasse”) (V. Savelyev) and others.
Maria Levitska has also staged numerous plays in drama and music theatres of Ukraine, especially on the stage of the Lesya Ukrainka National Theatre of Russian Drama. She also produced operas, ballets and drama plays in foreign theatres: “The Sleeping Beauty” (Gdansk, Poland), “The Tsar’s Bride” (Maribor, Slovakia), “Taubele and Her Demon” (Haifa, Israel), “The Nutcracker” and “The Ukrainian Cinderella” (Canada). The plays including sets designed by – Maria Levitska were great success during the tour of the National Opera of Ukraine in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Japan and other countries.
Paintings by Maria Levitska are kept in the State Museum of Theatre, Music and Film Arts of Ukraine, the Bachrushin Theatre Museum (Moscow), and in private collections all around the globe.
Kyiv, st. Triokhsviatytelska, 11.
Wednesday – Sunday 11 AM – 7 PM
Monday – Tuesday – closed
+38 (063) 397 34 57
artportal11@gmail.com
portal11.com.ua
facebook: galleryportal11
Instagram: gallery_portal11
