Sali Shijaku is one of the most important Albanian painters of the second half of the 20th century, who even during the communist regime managed to create artistic values, thus influencing modernization of Albanian painting from 1965 to 1980. Shijaku was a colorist, decorative painter and creator of compositions in one single image in Albanian art of the last quarter of the twentieth century.

Sali Shijaku was born on March 12, 1933 in Tirana. After finishing the “Jordan Misja” Art School in 1952, he continued his higher studies at the “I.E.Rjepin” Higher Institute of Arts in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in the years 1956-1961. He began his artistic creativity in the beginning of 1960s.

He was part of that constellation of Albanian artists, who dealt with the compositional framework, mainly with themes of war, history, legends, but also present day life. His journey in the figurative arts began with the first portraits, such as: “Portret vajze-portrait of a girl”, “Costume tiranseje-Vestige of Tirana”, gradually moving towards the search for beauty, psychological depth and decorative stitches in portraits.

The work of the master Shijaku, “Painter of the people”, was characterized by a wide range of themes, which find solutions in different forms, often unexpected, while the painting “Mic Sokoli”, did finally set the artist in a new way to paint and create new visions, where monumental art becomes primary in the picked-up character of a cycle of single-image paintings. The painted characters selected by the painter, despite having a heroic scale depiction of sacrifice and self-denial, are transformed into symbols of worship for the public.

Master Shijaku is one of the great personalities of the Albanian belle arts. During his long artistic career, he was awarded with numerous titles and awards. In 1969 he was awarded the title of “Emeritus Artist” and in 1979 “Painter of the People”. In 2004 he was awarded the title “Honor of Tirana District “.

In the gallery of the great master Shijaku there are 92 works in painting and sculpture, including 19 drawings, 7 ceramic works and 1 in plaster. A part of the collection of the works of the master Sali Shijaku is exhibited in the main rooms of the National Gallery of Belle Arts in Tirana.

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