More than 160 artists from all over the world will come together in Albania in the first international watercolor festival that Tirana will host in November.
Helidon Haliti, 47, a veteran painter who recently represented Albania at the Brioude Watercolour Biennial in France, is the organizer of this inaugural event in Albania, as the head of the Albanian branch of the International Watercolor Society.
“The festival’s goal is multifunctional, it started as love for watercolor paintings, the technique of childhood, as a desire to revive this technique which has been silent in the past 25 years in Albania and is turning into a wonderful advertisement to promote Albania, its beauty, art, culture, tradition and above all its famous landscapes and hospitality,” says Haliti.
“All of the world’s schools will be showcased in Tirana, including China, Russia, Europe and India,” he adds.
The festival, scheduled to be held from November 21 to 25 at the National Museum of History, the Palace of Congresses and a private art gallery in Tirana will bring together watercolor artists from Turkey, India, Pakistani, Syria, Egypt, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Russia, Macedonia, Iran, Thailand, France, U.S., Germany, Bulgaria, Portugal, Denmark etc.
The jury has postponed the selection of Albanian artists in order to make a better representation of Albanian art in this great event.
“The freshness of this technique, its purity of colors and the speed of completing it makes watercolor painting magic,” says Haliti.
“You will have the opportunity to see great master of global watercolor art who will not have their works displayed in Tirana but will also engage in live performances, promoting the art of watercolor to the public,” he says.
Skender Kamberi, the head of the festival’s evaluation committee, describes the event as a huge step for Albanian art on the international stage.