Esad Mekuli 2022

Gazmend Freitag drew this portrait of Esad Mekuli in 2022, and it's like we're watching him work through the image. The marks feel less like a final statement and more like a record of their making. The drawing is all about the physicality of the pencil on paper. Look at the way Freitag uses hatching to build up the tones on Mekuli's face and coat. There's a real energy there, a sense of the artist's hand moving across the page, searching for the form. Notice how the lines around the eyes create depth and character? You can almost feel the weight of his gaze. It reminds me of Lucien Freud’s drawings, especially in the way he captures the weight and texture of the skin. But Freitag brings his own distinct sensibility to the process. Art is always a conversation, right? Embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations, Freitag’s drawing invites us to find our own way of seeing.