Madame Butterfly: A Symphony of Design and Emotion

Liudmila Shurygina's Award-Winning Opera Posters

The series of opera posters was designed with the idea of portraying a singing or shouting woman as a symbol of passion and the central figure in the opera plot. Shurygina aimed to depict the tragic and dependent role of a woman in librettos such as Madame Butterfly, Tosca, and Norma. The compositions represent the final scene or the culmination of the opera story, presenting an iconic interpretation of each plot.

Shurygina's inspiration came from various sources. The minimalist iconic shapes in the portraits of Kazimir Malevich and the open emotional expression in Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" played significant roles. The vibrant colours, contrast, and simple shapes of the Memphis style also influenced the design.

The posters were created using Adobe Illustrator software and are usually printed in A1 size on high-quality carton paper. They can be produced for street poster displays or transformed into animated graphics for digital promotion campaigns. The posters are as suitable for print production as they are for digital, making them versatile and adaptable.

The project, which started a year ago in Amsterdam, was not without its challenges. The main challenge was to find an icon that could effectively illustrate the tragic opera plot. However, through extensive research exploring avant-garde style, contemporary visual language, iconology, and expressionism, Shurygina was able to overcome this challenge and create a series of posters that are both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.

The 'Madame Butterfly' poster, along with the rest of the series, was awarded the Golden A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award in 2021. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. It is a testament to Shurygina's ability to advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with her desirable characteristics.