Odhise Paskali (Përmet, December 22, 1903 – Tirana, September 13, 1985) is celebrated as the father of Albanian sculpture and one of the country’s most influential artists.

He was born in Përmet to Paskal Thanasi and Kaliopi Papadhimitri. His father worked first in the Ottoman tobacco administration and later as a priest. Paskali spent his childhood in Përmet, Koblarë, and Frashër. These experiences shaped his deep connection to his homeland.

In 1919, he moved to Italy. He completed high school in 1923 and enrolled at the University of Turin, studying literature, philosophy, and art history. He graduated in 1927, earning a degree that prepared him for both artistic creation and scholarly work.

After returning to Albania, Paskali actively promoted art. In 1931, he founded the society “Friends of Art.” He organized Albania’s first fine arts exhibition and helped open the School of Drawing in Tirana. He also supported Albanian student associations and publications in Italy.

Paskali began as a journalist and art critic, publishing widely on aesthetics and art theory. His articles from the 1920s remain relevant today.

Recognizing the lack of professional sculptors in Albania, he dedicated himself to sculpture. He trained in Turin with an Italian realist sculptor and became Albania’s first professional sculptor. Between 1932 and 1937, cities across Albania installed his monuments.

During the fascist occupation, he joined the Institute of Studies and opened a workshop to produce school materials. After liberation, he sculpted national heroes, partisans, and martyrs of the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War.

Although he lived mostly in Italy and Tirana, Paskali maintained ties with Përmet. He created works such as The Liberating Partisan, The Comrades group at the Martyrs’ Cemetery, and busts of Naim Frashëri, Nonda Bulka, and the Frashëri brothers. He also memorialized family members in sculpture.

Later, he directed the National Gallery of Arts but avoided administrative tasks to focus on creation. He kept detailed diaries on art and history, later published in Traces of Life (1986).

Odhise Paskali’s work laid the foundation for Albanian sculpture. He shaped the nation’s artistic identity and continues to inspire generations of artists.

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