Painter Ali Oseku passed away. Family, friends, colleagues, and art enthusiasts held tributes at the University of Arts. He is known as one of the most emblematic painters of the past five decades.

Ali Oseku (1944) was born in Tirana, into a family of Gjakova origin. He completed his artistic high school in 1963 and the High Institute of Arts in 1969. After his studies, the artist started working as a set designer at the Opera House.

In 1973, amidst state penalties in the field of art and culture, the artist was sentenced to prison until 1979. After this period, the artist did odd jobs until the collapse of the system. In the 1990s, he became one of the most active voices in the local artistic scene.

President Bajram Begaj sent a farewell message to the painter Ali Oseku, “Nation’s Honor.”

“Ali Oseku showed us through his works the light we couldn’t see and the courage we needed for change in Albania. We will all remember him as the master of light, sublime tranquility, who brought modernism to art in isolated Albania through his non-conformist works. Ali Oseku, the resistant artist, endured political imprisonment, sacrificed his works, and with patience and determination, rose to the heights of Albanian figurative art. Ali Oseku showed us through his works the light we couldn’t see and the courage we needed for change in Albania” writes President Begaj.

Considered one of the best names in local contemporary art, the painter closed his eyes on Tuesday at the age of 80.

/k.s/