Master

The glyptic master Bessarion Darjania was always fascinated by glyptic art. He showed his interest towards sculpture from an early age. He studied sculpture under Zakro and Mary Kratashvili. The master graduated from Tbilisi State University Faculty of Arts. It should be noted that in 2001 he was included in the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Artists" of Cincinnati (Ohio, USA), a private publication, as a glyptic (cameo carving) specialist.  Mr Besarion's source of inspiration is Georgian and foreign mythology, ancient art, epos and flora and fauna. The theme, content and material in his works resonate with each other: "In the case of the shell, the material dictates the content of the work, because there are layers of different colours in the shell, and the master must imagine and determine which sketch corresponds to such a distribution of colours," writes Darjania.  Due to the complexity and neatness of glyptic, fewer people are engaged in this work in Georgia. This antique craft was also widespread in ancient Colchis, although in Georgia European cameos were dominated. "My goal was to participate in the popularization and revival of this field of art, which I achieved to some extent," says the master. In 2005 Mr Bessarion founded Cameo Gallery, which closed in 2020 due to the covid pandemic. Currently, he continues his creative activity in "Art Studio Cameo", which he owns together with his friend. "I found myself with the love of the art of cameo carving" writes Besarion Darjania.