Gjergj Fishta 2022

Curator: Gazmend Freitag created this compelling portrait of Gjergj Fishta in 2022. The medium is pencil and graphite on paper. What strikes you first? Editor: It's the eyes, definitely the eyes. They hold a kind of weariness, but also a deep intelligence. And the lines… there’s an energy there that feels both modern and timeless. Curator: Fishta was an Albanian writer, intellectual, and Catholic priest who played a significant role in the Albanian national movement. Consider how portraits historically were commissioned by elites and helped shape cultural memory. In contemporary terms, what is achieved with the drawing made of such an important figure? Editor: Absolutely, I get a sense of historical weight mixed with something incredibly raw. There's no gilded frame, no heroic pose, it’s just the person, laid bare by these stark pencil strokes. To me, this is as much about the artist's connection to the subject as it is about Fishta himself. The drawing appears almost sketched on location, offering the immediacy of felt experience. Curator: Interesting observation. Looking at the artistic choices, Freitag uses a cross-hatching technique to build form and volume, creating subtle shadows. The use of graphite emphasizes texture, especially noticeable in the rendering of the hair and the folds of the clothing. What effect do you think this stylistic choice contributes? Editor: It gives the drawing a restless quality, as if the figure might shift any moment. You can see the hand of the artist. None of those photorealistic portraits here, thank heavens. The energy speaks of the subject's, I imagine, similarly restless mind, too. Curator: Indeed, the drawing has been associated with realism and a contemporary style, suggesting an attempt to represent Fishta as he was, perhaps, beyond the myth-making associated with nationalist figures. Editor: Or perhaps capturing a more internalized version of heroism—the everyday weight of bearing history within yourself. It definitely makes me want to know more about Fishta and Freitag both. Curator: The success here lies in this piece facilitating such personal inquiry. Thank you, this was enriching. Editor: My pleasure, history is always best served raw and personal.