For the first time, the Center for Openness and Dialogue (COD) brings the works of Master Gjelosh Gjokajt, part of the largest collection of the extraordinary Albanian painter from Montenegro, which contains works during 1961-2013.

Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, present at the ceremony, said that Gjelos Gjoka did not paint for a living, but lived to paint.

“It is the collection of a beautiful story, of an artist whose details still remain to be discovered, even though a very commendable work has been done for his monography, but Gjelosh Gjoka is much more than that. Gjelosh Gjoka was one of those characters, where it is not clear where the daily life of a person ends and where art, painting begins, because both lived intertwined with each other. Devoted to art, he had no agent to take care of his work and his exhibitions. He didn’t paint for a living, but lived to paint. His life was quite simple, but also full to be at the height of his generosity and his desire to spend time with friends and conversations, which he liked very much,” said Rama.

“His life was quite simple, but at the same time it was complete to be at the height of his generosity to spend time with friends and conversations”, concluded Rama.

The painter passed away at the age of 83, leaving behind over 3,000 works of art in painting and graphics.

From Montenegro, to Prishtina, to Rome and then to Germany, Gjokaj would take a piece from everywhere, to turn it into art.

Gjelosh Gjoka, a multidimensional artist, bestowed to Albanian and European art hundreds of paintings and various graphic works, becoming one of the greatest painters of the Albanian world. The exhibition opened in COD contains 73 works created during 1961-2013.

/a.p./