Tavadze was born on February 6, 1911 in the village Tkhilagani, Kutais Governorate; at that time, Tkhilagani was part of the Russian empire. In 1926, he graduated from the secondary school of Kutaisi. During his apprenticeship, he took up drawing lessons together with Petre Otskheli at the art studio under the guidance of Vano Tcheishvili. In 1926, Tavadze entered Tbilisi State Academy of Arts majoring in painting. His teachers included Ioseb Sharleman, Gigo Gabashvili, Evgeni Lansere.
Starting in 1927, Tavadze began working at the Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, first as an assistant producer (1927–1930), then as an artist (1930–1948). Subsequently he was appointed to the position of the chief artist (1948–1976). In 1932, Tavadze made his artistic debut at the Rustaveli Theatre in O. Samsonidze's play, "The Hoop", directed by Sandro Akhmeteli and Shota Aghsabadze. In 1933, he made his first artistic appearance outside of Georgia in Shakespeare's "Othello" in the Kirovabad Theatre, Azerbaijan.
In 1933, the painter Lado Gudiashvili dedicated a complimentary letter to Tavadze: "Dimitri Tavadze, a young artists was distinguished for consciousness and discretion; he, from the beginning owned the mystery of painting only feasible for rather experienced painters".
Tavadze illustrated over 150 plays in 20 different theaters. He collaborated renowned directors such as Sandro Akhmeteli, Dimitri Aleksidze, Mikheil Tumanishvili, Robert Sturua, and Irina Molostova. The majority of Tavadze's projects were staged at the Rustaveli Theatre (57 plays). Fletcher's comedy "The Spanish Curate" and Pavel Kohout's play "Such Love" won special recognition and success. Tavadze's last project was "Do not Abandon the Fire, Prometheus" (Kirovabad – 1983). Dimitri Tavadze died on March 6, 1990 in Tbilisi.
Tavadze was awarded the "Honored Art worker" (1950), the "Laureate of the State Prize" (1951), and the "People's Painter of Georgia" (1967). Starting 1933, Tavadze participated in a number of exhibitions. Tavadze's works were displayed numerous times in Tbilisi, as well as in Moscow (1937, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1971, 1979), in Leningrad (1937), in São Paulo (1967) and in the German Democratic Republic (1968). He had personal exhibitions in Tbilisi (1964, 1975 ["Shakespeareana"], 1982) and in Moscow (1971).
Tavadze's works are preserved in the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Moscow, the National Pushkin Museum, Saint Petersburg, the Georgian State Museum of Theatre, Music, Cinema and Choreography, Tbilisi, and the Museum of Rustaveli Theatre. In addition, some works are preserved in theatres and private collections around the world.
Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre
1932 – P. Samsonidze, "The Hoop" (Georgian: "სალტე"). Dir.: Sandro Akhmeteli, Shota Aghsabadze
1933 – G. Shatberashvili, "The Enemy" (Georgian: "დუშმანი"). Dir.: Sandro Akhmeteli, Shota Aghsabadze
1936 – S. Kldiashvili, "The Autumn Gentry" (Georgian: "შემოდგომის აზნაურები"). Dir.: Kukuri Pataridze
1937 –
G. Mdivani, "Alkazar" (Georgian: "ალკაზარი"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
S. Kldiashvili, "The Generation of the Heroes" (Georgian: "გმირთა თაობა"). Dir.: Kukuri Pataridze
1938 – G. Mdivani, "The Motherland" (Georgian: "სამშობლო"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
1939 – S. Mtvaradze, "Upon the Mountain Range" (Georgian: "მთაგრეხილზე"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
1940 – S. Kldiashvili, "The Widow of an Earl" (Georgian: "გრაფის ქვრივი"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
1941 –
S. Kldiashvili, "The Last Knight" (Georgian: "უკანასკნელი რაინდი"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
F. Wolf, "Professor Mamlock". Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
1946 –
C. Goldoni, "Servant of Two Masters" (Italian: "Il servitore di due padroni"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
G. Berdzenishvili, "Beginning of the End" (Georgian: "დასასრულის დასაწყისი"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze, Sergo Chelidze
B. Chirskov, "The Winners" (Russian: "Победители"). Dir.: Sergo Chelidze
1947 –
Ar. d'Usseau and J. Gow, "Deep Are the Roots". Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
N. Pogodin, "The Man with a Rifle" (Russian: "Человек с ружьём"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
O. Goldsmith, "She Stoops to Conquer". Dir.: Shota Meskhi
1948 –
S. Dolidze, G. Berdzenishvili, "The Aerie" (Georgian: "არწივის ბუდე"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
W. Shakespeare, "Othello". Dir.: Akaki Vasadze, Shota Aghsabadze
V. Mass, M. Chervinsky, "To Friends, to Comrade" (Russian: "О друзьях-товарищах"). Dir.: Shota Meskhi
1949 –
I. Mosashvili, "The Sunk Stones" (Georgian: "ჩაძირული ქვები"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
V. Pataraia, "Ucha Uchardia" (Georgian: "უჩა უჩარდია"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
V. Karsanidze, "Evergreen Ridges" (Georgian: "მარად მწვანე ქედები"). Dir.: Mikheil Tumanishvili
K. Simonov, "Alien shadow" (Russian: "Чужая тень"). Dir.: Dimitri Aleksidze
1950 –
Sh. Dadiani, "Out of Sparks" (Georgian: "ნაპერწკლიდან"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
V. Vishnevski, "Unforgettable 1919" (Russian: "Незабываемый 1919-й"). Dir.: Micheil Tumanishvili
1951 – G. Mdivani, "People of Goodwill" (Georgian: "კეთილი ნების ადამიანები"). Dir.: Shota Meskhi
1952 –
P. Kakabadze, "The Forge of Happiness" (Georgian: "ბედნიერი სამჭედლო"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
D. Kldiashvili, "The Adversity of Darispan" (Georgian: "დარისპანის გასაჭირი"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
N. Gogol, "The Gamblers" (Georgian: "Игроки"). Dir.: Akaki Dvalishvili
I. Vakeli, "The Steel" (Georgian: "რვალი"). Dir.: Shota Meskhi
I. Chavchavadze, G. Berdzenishvili, "The Widow of Otar" (Georgian: "ოთარაანთ ქვრივი"). Dir.: Akaki Vasadze
1953 – A. Sumbatashvili-Yuzhin, "The Betrayal" (Russian: "Измена"). Dir.: Akaki Khorava
1954 –
I. Dubois, "Haiti". Dir.: Akaki Vasadze, Mikheil Tumanishvili
V. Kandelaki, "The Weed" (Georgian: "სარეველა"). Dir.: Akaki Dvalishvili
J. Fletcher and Ph. Massinger, "The Spanish Curate". Dir.: Mikheil Tumanishvili