Meeting with the maestro

Milan, December 1966

For the Kosovar Albanians, the great painter Ibrahim Kodra was little known at that time, while in his homeland, in Tirana, they had "forgotten" him, because he had nothing to do with "socialist realism", but with cubism and others.

After my three-day visit to Milan and a first interview in the Albanian press, which coincidentally shot "Rilindja", the "genius of colors" was convinced how much we love him and happily agreed to open the first exhibition in Pristina, in July 1968- s, and five years later he was also invited to Tirana, but without paintings.

The author of over 6.000 precious creations that honored us all over the globe, had suffered from longing that he would never again see the most beautiful colors of his homeland that he remembered from his early youth. (You can read the full article by Nehat Islami in today's edition of the Supplement for Culture in Koha Ditore)