Gallery Portal11 presents personal exhibition of the main theatral designer of the National Opera of Ukraine – Maria Levitska “STAGE”. 05.11.22 – 04.12.22.
Last year the Portal 11 gallery presented for the first time an exhibition of Maria Levitska, the chief artist of the National Opera of Ukraine. The exposition was devoted to theatrical costumes. Today we present the second part of the project – sketches for the design of theatrical performances. Among them are “Don Juan”, “Zorba the Greek”, “Mazepa”, “Master and Margarita”, “Masquerade Ball”, “Cinderella”, “Masquerade”, “Lucia di Lammermoor”.
Scenography is a work with an idea that goes through a sketch stage before getting on stage. The sets and costumes start with a sketch, but at the same time sketches are finished works of art. “I drew a lot, searched, not always in order. But I probably found it. Don Juan, who longs for all-consuming freedom, seems to build an altar to her in everything… And in a sacramental moment – an invitation to dinner with the commander – ah! It turns out that the altar is the commander’s tombstone,” says Maria.
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 “KyivskaPektoral” 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), “KapitanFrakas” (“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 LesyaUkrainka 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.
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