Rexhep Ferri – the artist who monumentalized the spiritual

"I am not saying that I have done any great miracle. But, the biggest miracle of this that I left is that I did it with a lot of dedication and with a lot of faith. Without a better day, I had done it even better. That's all I knew", said academician Rexhep Ferri in May 2020. That he has done a lot by leaving behind a treasure in painting but also in literature, the works are evidence. Academician Ferri died on Thursday, at the age of 86. The death of the artist of the generation that laid the foundations of Kosovo's visual art has been seen as a great loss for the national culture and beyond. But his legacy remains as one of the most meaningful assets in the creative mosaic

Perhaps intentionally and perhaps even though it was a matter of a life narrative that could not be separated from the profession, Rexhep Ferri could hardly skip to his works without first digging through the history of Albanians, even if only briefly. It could also go to the ancestors - skilled warriors of Plava and Gucia - as it would grow with their deeds. His and his family's life story is a drama. Not only as a symbol, but it could also be staged. There, the fragments of the history of the Albanians that were often supported by the wall would come to light. But they did not give up. The painter himself made a staging of this story. He presented it in hundreds of paintings. Even in many writings. 

Rexhep Ferri died on Thursday. He was 86 years old. For nearly seven decades, he gave color to human relationships, the figure of man and woman inspired him, while he dissected mythologies and legends, making them shine. It didn't stop there. The dreams of the painter seemed small. He intended to complete himself with knowledge and contribution in many spheres of art. He wrote poetry, prose and essays, becoming a true artist. For decades he was engaged as a professor, bringing out whole generations of painters. 

The death of the artist of the generation that laid the foundations of Kosovo's visual art has been seen as a great loss for the national culture and beyond. But his legacy remains as one of the most meaningful assets in the creative mosaic of pioneers.

The life journey that also left its mark on creativity

Academician Rexhep Ferri was born on October 10, 1937 in Kukës. He was the son of teacher Shaban Ferri. His father would be transferred to several areas to open schools in the Albanian language. Then the family would return to the place where they came from, in Plavë. With the same mission, the opening of the Albanian school. They would spend part of World War II there, but would be displaced again. The reason: the new power.

Shaban Ferri's family would live in Babaj t Boka, near Gjakova, while the head of the family would flee to Albania to save his life. He was pursued by the government as a collaborator of the nationalists and successor of Jakup and Hasan Ferri. Among the economic misery, selling the few things of value, Rexhep Ferri would grow up with his sisters and brother in Gjakova. 

At the age of 17, his brother Muharrem would run away to Albania, never to return. Together with his father, they had retired as teachers. 

In 1958, Rexhep Ferri finished the High School of Art in Peja. In 1962, he published the first poems from the cycle "Weary Walkers", in the literary magazine "Jeta e Re" in Prishtina. In 1966 he graduated from the Department of Monumental Painting at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade, while in 1970 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade. In 1971, he received the "December Award" of the Assembly of Kosovo for his contribution to the field of visual arts. And in 2022, he was awarded the "Muslim Mulliqi" award for life activity by the Ministry of Culture. In 1974, he was elected a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Pristina.

Corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo was elected in 1996, while regular member in 2000.

His biography includes personal exhibitions in Kosovo, former Yugoslavia, but also in France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Egypt and other countries.

Devoted to literature, he became the author of poetic volumes such as: "Blood Work" (1978), "The Neck of the Sun" (1981), "White Shirt" (1984), "Triangle with the Sea" (1988), "In profile" (1992) and "Maybe it was love" (1997). In prose, he is the author of novels: "Atdheu im torzo" (1998), "Portreti i une vetmie" (2003), "Fear of Gernika" (2004), "Njeriu po kush other" (2005), "Shapo Albane" ( 2006). "Britma e Munk" (2011) and "Portrait on the coin" (2013). His creativity also includes essays and studies.

"I don't like makeup in art. It takes spirituality" 

In his creativity, painting was the first vocation, and with that he became internationally known. He would devote his life to painting. His characters are monumental. He wanted them to speak through their silence.

"I spent a lot of time, many years, on painting. I tried to express myself in my own words. Even if they are not heavily made up or with makeup, what do you call them now. I don't like makeup. I don't like makeup much in life, and I don't like makeup in art either. Spirituality is needed", he would say in a conversation for TIME at the end of May 2020. 

He gave life to the spiritual in his paintings. It has transformed them into metaphors that can be read in different perspectives, making them permanent. He started early. In post-World War II Kosovo, illiteracy was at a high level. Hardly anyone thought of visual art. Academician Muslim Mulliqi would open the first personal exhibition in 1952 in Pristina, then in 1958 a collective exhibition of Kosovo Albanian painters would be organized, and a year later the personal exhibition of Tahir Emra. In 1967 the citizens of Prishtina would see Rexhep Ferri's personal exhibition. Among the pioneers he would stand out.

"Through his paintings, Rexhep Ferri, as a true modernist artist, manages to offer experiences that cannot be obtained through other artistic disciplines by clearly defining the character of the syntax and morphology of the visual language he uses, by selecting expressive and technical tools typical only for the art of painting", wrote critic Gëzim Qëndro in the monograph dedicated to Rexhep Ferri, published by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo in 2010. Ferri's characters in the painting walk between the real and the abstract, not having a clear border in between They are figures that seem to have been robbed of life. It is the Albanians themselves among history through the legends and myths with which Ferri grew up. 

"In my painting it is simply the construction of a new house with the carved stones that the house had, the tower of my grandfather, my father's great-grandfather, which is a ruin," he would say in May 2020. 

He quickly became a name in Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia. In 1977, he would arrive in Paris, at the "Lambert" gallery, with an outstanding exhibition. He had returned with empty bags. He often mentioned a conversation with the owner of the gallery. 

"He told me: it's a shame you're not Spanish, because you would become very famous," he quoted the Parisian. Here Rexhep Ferri would learn a lesson. That to work even more. 
"I said, I have to work even harder than others to get there," he recalled.

"He never repeated himself, he was always searching"

Academician Eqrem Basha counts about half a century of acquaintance with Hell. He will also speak about it at the Academy's commemoration held today (Friday), at 11:00 a.m., exactly two hours before the final farewell at the capital's cemetery. 

"I would say that in his beginnings and in my beginnings as a creator and as interested in the visual arts, we began to know each other well. This closeness was also related to Ferri's interests in literature. He was trained as a painter, but at the same time he was also engaged in poetry. The first editions of his poems date from 1962, to the then well-known literary magazine 'Jeta e Re', which is published to this day", he recalled on Thursday, in the conference hall, in the premises of the Academy. He described Ferri as a complete man. 

"Ferri was a special person, a painter, but I would say a complete artist who at the same time knew all the fields of art as a real artist should be," he said. 
According to the writer, researcher and critic Basha, following Ferri's creativity closely and passionately, he noticed that in the 70s he made several exhibitions that were really important for the spread and for the authority that the figurative artists of Kosovo created in the then Yugoslav regions, but also beyond. He recalled that Ferri has held several important personal exhibitions even outside the borders of Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia. 

"In my opinion, Ferri's work stands out for an approach I would say modern, an approach that walks a line between abstraction and concrete. He is a figurative painter, but in his figure he develops an extraordinary dynamic of drawing", said Basha. He described him as a painter based on drawing, and he did this with skill, where he always had a reliable support for the creation of paintings. 

"He never repeated himself. He was an artist always in search, developing his work. Until the last days he created and created more and more differently. That's why his work is so important and so valuable to simultaneously study the development of visual arts in general in our country", said Academician Basha. He mentioned that the artists of Kosovo created authority wherever they appeared with exceptional individuality. We remember Muslim Mulliq, Agim Çavdarbaşa, Xhevdet Xhafa, Tahir Emra and others. 

"Rexhep Ferri is also in this order. So, it is a constellation that honors us and has honored us everywhere they have appeared. The loss of Ferri is a great loss for us as friends and colleagues, but also for our art and culture," he said.

The Creation of Hell – a testament to the generations

Institutional leaders have also seen Ferri's death as a great loss for culture. 
The President of Kosovo, through a telegram of condolence, said that Kosovo has lost the academician, painter, poet, prose writer and essayist Rexhep Ferri.

"His creative skill has wonderfully intertwined painting with literature, which he did not part with throughout his life. Akademik Ferri belongs to the golden generation of Kosovo painters, so his name will always be engraved in our memory through his diverse artistic creations, which will remain a testament to us and the generations after us," she wrote. . 

Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote on Facebook that he expressed his sincere condolences to the Ferri family and the entire artistic community on behalf of the people and the Government of Kosovo. He listed Ferri's biography and recalled that on August 26, 2023, he had the honor of meeting him personally and talking with him about art and cultural heritage. 

"His contributions as a lecturer and member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo have left a rich artistic and educational legacy. Kosovo lost a beloved family member, academician, professor, friend, colleague and one of the most important figures of art and culture. We will take care that his work is documented, protected and known and studied by the new generations", wrote Kurti. 

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, wrote on Facebook that Ferri's activity and contribution as a professor are immeasurable. He has appreciated him as one of the greatest painters of the nation.

According to him, values ​​place Hell without question in the mausoleum of the immortals. 

"It is an honor that one of Rexhep Ferri's paintings can be found right in the premises of our Assembly. We carry his works with pride. It stands with a radiant glow making us all, along with every visitor there, witness the awe-inspiring beauty. Condolences to the family for the loss of their loved one! The memory of Rexhep Ferri will live forever in his sublime work", he wrote. 

The Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku, also wrote on Facebook that the country has lost one of the nation's most special artists. 

"Hell belongs to the generation that raised our artistic scene. His work and contribution will continue to be a guide for future generations. Always grateful for the commitment and the legacy he left behind", he wrote. 

The legacy of academician Rexhep Ferrit is weighty. He didn't know otherwise. 

"I am not saying that I have done any great miracle. But, the biggest miracle of this that I left is that I did it with a lot of dedication and with a lot of faith. Without a better day, I had done it even better. That's all I knew", he would say in May 2020. 

His devotion and faith are found in prose, poetry and numerous paintings. The characters in his paintings are timeless. They look very real and even decipherable to some extent. But it soon becomes clear that the legends and myths surrounding them make them quite mystical. Hell possessed this power: to monumentalize the spiritual.