Odhise Paskali (22 December 1903 – 13 September 1985) is one of the most acclaimed

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

sculptors Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

. For his contribution, he was awarded the

People's Artist of Albania The People's Artist () was an honorary title for outstanding art performers of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, whose merits were exceptional in the sphere of development of the performing arts (theatre, music, cinema and art). It was c ...

award.

Early life

Paskali was born in 1903 in

Përmet Përmet (; sq-definite, Permeti) is a city and municipality in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality of Përmet consists of the administrative units of Çarçovë, Frashër, Petran, Qendër Piskovë and Përmet. The total popul ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. In 1925 when Paskali realized ''The Hungry'' he sent the work along with ''Face of a Girl'' (''Fytyrë vajze'') to

Ahmet Zogu Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...

, then

Prime Minister of Albania The Prime Minister of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Shqipërisë), officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of government of the Republic of Albania and the mos ...

, and asked in return for a scholarship to study in an academy of arts in Italy. Zogu fulfilled his desire by sending him to

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

. As a student in Turin, he initiated the Albanian Student Association (''Studenti shqiptar'') and the magazine of the Albanian Students of Turin. He graduated in 1927 in Art Critique at the

Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and

Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

School of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

University in Turin. In the 1930s he was one of the initiators of the association Friends of the Albanians (''Miqt e Arbrit''). He was also one of the organizers of the first exposure of arts and the first School of Painting in Tirana.

Works

Paskali has finished around 600 sculptures. His first sculpture was ''The Hungry''. His masterpiece is the

Skanderbeg's monument in Tirana The Skanderbeg Monument is a monument in the Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. It commemorates Skanderbeg (1405–1468), the national hero in Albania for resisting the Ottomans. Created by Odhise Paskali, the monument was inaugurated in 1 ...

, Albania. Other important works are ''The Flag Bearer'' (''Flamurtari'' 1932, Vlore), ''The National Fighter'' (''Luftëtari Kombëtar'' 1932,

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...

), ''The Mountaneer'' (''Malësori''), ''

Jeronim De Rada Girolamo de Rada ( Arbërisht: ''Jeronim de Rada''; 29 November 181428 February 1903) was an Arbëreshë folklorist, journalist, lawyer, playwright, poet, rilindas and writer. He is regarded as one of the most influential Albanian writers of th ...

'', ''

Naim Frashëri Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, rilindas and translator who was proclaimed as the national poet of Albania. He is regarded as the pioneer of modern ...

'', ''KETI'', ''

Themistokli Gërmenji Themistokli Gërmenji (1871 – 1917) was an Albanian nationalist figure and guerrilla fighter. One of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening and the leader of the Albanian irregulars from 1909 to 1914, he became the prefect of poli ...

'', ''

Naum Veqilharxhi Naum Veqilharxhi (born Naum Panajot Bredhi; 1797–1846) was an Albanian lawyer and scholar. In 1844, he created a unique alphabet for the Albanian language using characters he had created himself, the Vithkuqi script. Veqilharxhi is one of the ...

'', ''The Unknown Soldier'' (''Ushtari i panjohur''), ''

Vojo Kushi Vojo Kushi (, August 3, 1918 – October 10, 1942) was an Albanian and Yugoslav communist guerilla fighter (partisan) and one of the founders of the Communist group based in Shkodër, following the Italian occupation of Albania in April 1939. He wa ...

'', ''

Fan Noli Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, Archbishop, Metropolitan and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albanian Orthodox ...

'', ''

Onufri Onufri Argitis or Onoufrios of Neokastro or Onoufrios Argytes ( el, Ονούφριος) was a 16th century painter of Orthodox icons and Archpriest of Elbasan, active in the 16th century in modern-day southern Albania and in the south-western re ...

'', ''

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...

'', ''

Çerçiz Topulli Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli. He w ...

'', ''

Pashko Vasa Pashko is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Gramoz Pashko (1955–2006), Albanian economist and politician * Josif Pashko (1918–1963), Albanian politician * Walter Pashko (1930–2006), American painter See also * Pasco (di ...

'', ''

Migjeni Millosh Gjergj Nikolla (; 13 October 191126 August 1938), commonly known by the acronym pen name Migjeni, was an Albanian poet and writer, considered one of the most important of the 20th century. After his death, he was recognized as one of th ...

'', ''

Isa Boletini Isa Boletini (; 15 January 186423 or 24 January 1916) was an Albanian revolutionary commander and politician and rilindas from Kosovo. As a young man, he joined the Albanian nationalist League of Prizren and participated in a battle against Ot ...

'', ''

Idriz Seferi Idriz Seferi (14 March 1847 – 25 March 1927) was an Albanian leader and guerrilla fighter (rebel). A member of the League of Prizren and League of Peja, he was the right-hand man of Isa Boletini, with whom he organized the 1910 Uprising agai ...

''. It is thought that many of Paskali's works can be found in Italy and Switzerland as they were taken away through pillage during the Fascist Italian Invasion. Odhise was director of the

National Gallery of Figurative Arts of Albania The National Museum of Fine Arts ( sq, Galeria Kombëtare e Arteve) is a national art museum in Tirana, Albania, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. It features the work of well-known Albanian artist, such as Sadik Kaceli. In Octob ...

from 1957 to 1961.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paskali, Odhise 1903 births 1985 deaths People from Përmet Albanian artists People's Artists of Albania People from Manastir vilayet 20th-century Albanian sculptors Albanian atheists Albanian sculptors