Esat Valla (born 22 April 1944) is a
Kosovar Albanian
The Albanians of Kosovo ( sq, Shqiptarët e Kosovës, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovar/Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars/Kosovans, constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo.
Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub- ...
painter noted for his figurative paintings of small animals or insects such as butterflies and birds.
Life
Esat Valla was born on 22 April 1944 in
Gjakova
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants.
Geographicall ...
, where he attended primary school.
In 1965 he graduated from the Secondary School of Art in
Peć
Peja ( Indefinite Albanian form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipality and Peja District. It is situated in the region of Rugova on the eastern section of the Accursed Moun ...
.
In 1971 he graduated from the Academy of Arts in Belgrade (now the
University of Arts in Belgrade
The University of Arts in Belgrade ( sr-cyr, Универзитет уметности у Београду, Univerzitet umetnosti u Beogradu) is a public university in Serbia. It was founded in 1957 as the Academy of Arts to unite four academies. ...
), where he studied painting under professor Zoran Petrovic.
From 1974 he was a member of the Association of Figurative Artists of Kosovo.
He has been working at the Faculty of Arts since 1976, where he teaches painting to undergraduates and graduates, with the title of Ordinary Professor at the
Universiteti i Prishtinës
The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the K ...
.
In 1981 he received a master's degree from the Academy of Figurative Arts.
From 1982–84 he was chairman of the Association of Figurative Artists in Gjakova and from 1990–96 he was chairman of the Association of Figurative Artists of Kosovo.
He has studied in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Turkey, Greece and Albania.
Work
Esat Valla's work is surreal, half figurative, half abstract and highly individualistic.
He has participated in many group exhibitions, as well as personal exhibitions both nationally and internationally.
His work is held in various galleries, museums and private collections.
In December 2013 the
Kosova National Art Gallery opened a retrospective exhibition with 60 paintings by Esat Valla from his early youth in 1964 up to 2013.
The curator, Zeni Ballazhi, said he tried to select works from the artist's different cycles or periods.
One of these cycles is "Butterflies", created from March 1981 at the time of the demonstrations in Kosovo as a metaphor of sacrificed youth.
Works, some of which had not been exhibited before, included drawings and paintings on paper and fabric.
Themes included Albanian traditions, as well as surreal and abstract works.
Awards
Awards include:
*1974 – ''The Public's Prize'', Spring Salon, Pristina
*1978 – ''League of Prizren Prize'',
Prizren
*1980 – ''The Public's Prize'', Spring Salon, Pristina
*1982 – ''Mosa Pijade Prize'', the ll-th Kosova Spring Salon, Pristina
*1983 – Prize at the 9th Biennial of Drawing, Pristina
*1988 – ''The Public's Prize'', Spring Salon, Pristina
*1994 – ''Prize for Painting '', The Migration contest
See also
*
List of Albanian painters
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Valla, Esat
Kosovan painters
Albanian painters
1944 births
Living people
Artists from Gjakova