Pogradec hosted the International Watercolor Festival for the first time. The festival brought together artists from more than 30 countries.

Organizers said Pogradec offers the perfect setting for a large-scale festival. The event displayed 200 artworks by artists from India, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Kosovo, Albania, Brazil, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Mexico, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Korea, Lithuania, Vietnam, Singapore, and more.

“Pogradec has all the potential to host a festival on a larger scale,” said organizer Armand Xhika.

Most foreign artists visited Pogradec for the first time. They admired the city’s beauty and drew inspiration from it.

“I love this city. It’s more developed than I expected. Today I painted a fantastic view, one of the most beautiful I have ever done. This event promotes the area and tourism,” said Indian artist Hamit Kappor.

“This city lives for art. I feel honored to join this festival. Pogradec can become Albania’s art hub,” said Turkish artist Atanur Dogan.

“It’s an honor to be here. Watercolor arrived in this city, and you welcomed us warmly. We want to collaborate with Albanians in the future,” said Italian artist Giovanni Balzarani.

Artists will donate some festival works to the Pogradec Art Gallery. They also painted in nearby locations, including Tushemishti, Lini, and Varret e Selcës.

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