The Embroidered Kheberi

Ajarian Women’s Heritage Between Myth and Contemporary

Project by Irma Sharikadze

May 18 – June 28, 2025
State Silk Museum
6 G. Tsabadze Street
Opening: May 18, 2025 | 17:00–21:00

On the occasion of International Museum Day, the State Silk Museum invites you to the
opening of a temporary exhibition realized in collaboration with visual artist Irma
Sharikadze. The exhibition explores the archetypal and aesthetic layers of Ajarian
embroidery through a multimedia approach.

The exposition presents the creative heritage of Ajarian women from the personal
perspective of the artist. The embroidery collection will be presented for the first time
within the museum space and comprises hand-stitched ornamental patterns on silk and
cotton textiles. It features unique floral and geometric motifs, along with zoomorphic and
anthropomorphic figures, and includes symbolic representations of the Tree of Life and
its guardians, associated with archaic fertility cults.
The exhibition will also present photographic documentation by Irma Sharikadze,
capturing women from the highland regions of Ajara, alongside a film and a photo
installation featuring costumes designed by Irma De Flore, inspired by traditional Ajarian
Embroidery. The exhibition opening will be marked by a special performance featuring
acclaimed contemporary ballet soloists Nina Gogua and Natia Bunturi; former soloist of
the Georgian National Ballet “Sukhishvili,” Tea Darchia.
The exhibition is part of the State Silk Museum’s long-term initiative Museum and
Collector and continues Irma Sharikadze’s authorial project The Ajarian Bride’s
Treasure.

Private guided preview attended by Lady Elizabeth Kelly.

The exhibition was preceded by a VIP-preview attended by Lady Elizabeth Kelly with the artist Irma Sharikadze (to the right) photographed next to new photo installation “Flower Power“.

Exhibition Program

 May 31, 2025 | 13:00–17:00 — Meditation in the Museum: A participatory
performance and embroidery workshop with Ajarian women
 June 14, 2025 | 16:00-18:00  — “Ajarian Mythology and Archetype” — Guest
researcher: Khatuna Tavdgiridze
(Focus: traditional Ajarian symbols, narratives, and oral histories)
 June 28, 2025 | 16:00-18:00  - Closing Program | Last week of June --
“Archetype as Inspiration: A Talk with Artist Irma Sharikadze”
(Focus: representation of traditional symbols in contemporary art and fashion)

Embroidered Kheberi

Ajarian Women’s Heritage Between Myth and Contemporary

(Project by Irma Sharikadze)
Ajarian embroidery is a unique form of traditional Georgian handicraft that, over the
centuries, became an inseparable part of the daily lives of women living in the highlands
of Ajara (southwestern part of Georgia). The exhibition title references the word
Kheberi—an expression from the Ajarian dialect meaning “story” and presents the
creative heritage of Ajarian women through the personal lens of visual artist Irma
Sharikadze in a multimedia format.
The embroidery collection is being exhibited in the museum space for the first time and
brings together hand-stitched ornaments on silk and cotton fabrics. The ornamental
forms and symbols feature unique floral and geometric motifs, along with zoomorphic
and anthropomorphic figures, and includes symbolic representations of the Tree of Life
and its guardians, associated with archaic fertility cults. The visual language of
embroidery reveals the woman’s role in preserving the dowry tradition and transmitting
cultural memory — forming a unique code that carries the layered identity of Ajara.In
2020, Ajarian embroidery was inscribed as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage,
officially recognized as a monument of cultural significance.
An essential part of the exhibition is Irma Sharikadze’s new photo installation “Flower
Power” (2025), as well as the photographic documentation and documentary film
captured during the artist’s expeditions to the highlands of Adjara between 2019 and
2022, portraying the everyday lives of Ajarian women through the artist’s interpretation.
Temporarily integrated into the museum’s permanent exhibition is an installation by Irma
De Flore, whose design transforms the traditional aesthetics of embroidery into a
contemporary visual format. 
This exhibition is part of the State Silk Museum’s long-term initiative Museum and
Collector and is a continuation of Irma Sharikadze’s authorial project The Ajarian
Bride’s Treasure.

The exhibition guests were treated to Georgian red wine and dance performance at the State Silk Museum.