Gjirokastër hosts exhibition of 101 paintings and sculptures by 46 artists

In the “Old Bazaar” neighborhood, one of Gjirokastër’s most characteristic and oldest districts, 101 paintings and sculptures by 46 Albanian artists were exhibited.

The works were collected by culture specialist Stefan Arseni, while some of them were donated.

The exhibition was visited by artists, his collaborators, as well as foreign tourists in the city during this period.

For them, the exhibition is another point of interest during their visit to Gjirokastër, enriching the cultural experience alongside the city’s monuments and attractions.

“The works are of different techniques, paintings and sculptures. I have tried to nourish my passion by gathering works from everywhere. They are not only by authors from Gjirokastër, but there are authors from all over the country, as well as from Kosovo,” collector Stefan Arseni told the media.

Painter Edi Kojani said that “this collection is very rich, as it has different genres, such as painting and sculpture, as well as different techniques. We have oil painting, watercolor, drawings, graphics, pastel.”

Stefan Arseni began collecting works before the 1990s. He has worked all his life in artistic cultural institutions, holding leadership positions such as at the Tepelena House of Culture, director of the Gjirokastër library, director of the “Zihni Sako” theater, and culture inspector at the Executive Committee.

Although he officially retired from work nearly three decades ago, Arseni remains active, contributing to the revival of Gjirokastër’s cultural and artistic life.