ESAT VALLA
FIGURA, 1980
oil on canvas, ~ 72 x 92 cm
signed and dated lower right
This surreal, half figurative, half abstract and highly individualistic work is a metaphor for something.
Esat Valla
Born    22 April 1944 (age 77)
Gjakova
Nationality    Kosovar
Occupation    Painter, professor of art
Esat Valla (born 22 April 1944) is a Kosovar Albanian painter noted for his figurative paintings of small animals or insects such as butterflies and birds.
Life
Esat Valla was born on 22 April 1944 in Gjakova, where he attended primary school. In 1965 he graduated from the Secondary School of Art in Peć. In 1971 he graduated from the Academy of Arts in Belgrade (now the University of Arts in Belgrade), where he studied painting under professor Zoran Petrovic. From 1974 he was a member of the Association of Figurative Artists of Kosovo. He has been working at the Faculty of Arts since 1976, where he teaches painting to undergraduates and graduates, with the title of Ordinary Professor at the Universiteti i Prishtinës. In 1981 he received a master’s degree from the Academy of Figurative Arts. From 1982–84 he was chairman of the Association of Figurative Artists in Gjakova and from 1990–96 he was chairman of the Association of Figurative Artists of Kosovo. He has studied in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Turkey, Greece and Albania.
Work
Esat Valla’s work is surreal, half figurative, half abstract and highly individualistic. He has participated in many group exhibitions, as well as personal exhibitions both nationally and internationally. His work is held in various galleries, museums and private collections.
In December 2013 the Kosova National Art Gallery opened a retrospective exhibition with 60 paintings by Esat Valla from his early youth in 1964 up to 2013. The curator, Zeni Ballazhi, said he tried to select works from the artist’s different cycles or periods. One of these cycles is “Butterflies”, created from March 1981 at the time of the demonstrations in Kosovo as a metaphor of sacrificed youth. Works, some of which had not been exhibited before, included drawings and paintings on paper and fabric. Themes included Albanian traditions, as well as surreal and abstract works.
Awards
Awards include:
1974 – The Public’s Prize, Spring Salon, Pristina
1978 – League of Prizren Prize, Prizren
1980 – The Public’s Prize, Spring Salon, Pristina
1982 – Mosa Pijade Prize, the ll-th Kosova Spring Salon, Pristina
1983 – Prize at the 9th Biennial of Drawing, Pristina
1988 – The Public’s Prize, Spring Salon, Pristina
1994 – Prize for Painting , The Migration contest
List of Albanian painters
Onufri (16th Century)
Kostandin Shpataraku (1736–1767)
David Selenica (18th Century)
Marco Basaiti (1470–1530)
Andrea Aleksi (1425–1505)
Zografi Brothers (18th Century)
Modern
Den Minxhozi (born 1986)
Anteo Gremi (born 1981)
Gazmend Freitag (born 1968)
Mustafa Arapi (born 1950)
Xhovalin Delia (born 1959)
Parid Dule (born 1969)
Oltsen Gripshi (born 1984)
Helidon Gjergji (born 1970)
Ervin Hatibi (born 1974)
Fatmir Haxhiu (1927–200
Kolë Idromeno (1860–1939)
Sadik Kaceli (1912–2000)
Ibrahim Kodra (1918–2006)
Zef Kolombi (1907–1949)
Andrea Kushi (1884–1959)
Gazmend Leka (born 1953)
Ndoc Martini (1880–1916)
Agathangjel Mbrica (1883–1957)
Toni Milaqi (born 1974)
Vangjush Mio (1891–1957)
Genc Mulliqi (born 1966)
Fatmir Musaj (born 1958)
George Pali (born 1957)
Edi Rama (born 1964)
Chatin Sarachi (1899–1974)
Zef Shoshi (born 1939)
Saimir Strati (born 1966)
Eltjon Valle (born 1984)
Shaqir Veseli (born 1957)
Ilia Xhokaxhi (1948–2007)
Agim Zajmi (1936–2013)
Agim Kadillari (born 1953)
Qemal Butka (1907–1997)
Musa Qarri (born 1953)
Nexhmedin Zajmi (1916–1991)
Miranda Kalefi (born 1963)
Ilir Jaçellari (born 1970)
Spiro Xega (1861–1953)
Agim Sulaj (born 1960)
Arthur Tashko (1901–1994)
Lui Shtini (born 1978)
Engjëll Berisha (1926–2010)
Masar Caka (1946–2000)
Tahir Emra (born 1938)
Abdullah Gërguri (1931–1994)
Nimon Lokaj (born 1941)
Ramadan Ramadani (1944–2005)
Esat Valla (born 1944)
Muslim Mulliqi (1934–1998)
Abdurrahim Buza (1905–1987)
Omer Kaleshi (1932)
Sadri Ahmeti (1939–2010)
Maks Velo (1935-2020)