folklore in lines
The drawings in this exhibition are presented as limited-edition prints from the artist's original works. The oil paintings are original artworks.
This series emerged from a personal need to reconnect with a part of myself that never truly disappeared. For fifteen years, traditional Albanian dance was an essential part of my life. Even after stepping away from it, I realized that folklore remained deeply woven into my identity. The rhythms, symbols, movements, and stories continued to resonate within me, seeking expression through another artistic language.
Through drawing and painting, I explore Albanian tradition beyond its most familiar representations, focusing on traditional clothing, instruments, myths, rituals, and cultural details that are often overlooked. Created primarily in pencil, red watercolor, and oil paint, these works combine traditional motifs with a contemporary visual approach.
Rather than documenting folklore, these pieces reinterpret it, existing between memory and imagination, heritage and personal expression. This exhibition is both a tribute to the traditions that shaped me and an invitation to see Albanian culture as a living source of inspiration that continues to evolve.
Tim Kolgeci
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Askund means Nowhere. This landscape is inspired by Shkodra Elektronike music video. Blending traditional motifs with surreal imagery, it explores a space suspended between folklore and fantasy.
Askund
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 40€
A love seen through the lens of folklore. The woman veiled in the headpiece from Zadrima, the man's eyes covered by the shokë, blinded them not in darkness but in devotion, as a symbol of trust.
Blinded by Love
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 40€
A tribute to the beauty and grace of the Albanian bride. Framed by traditional garments and symbolism, she stands at the threshold between one chapter of life and the next, carrying both personal dreams and generations of tradition.
Bride, O Bride
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 35€
A portrait inspired by the traditional bridal headpiece of Zadrima. More than an ornament, it represents identity, craftsmanship, and the ceremonial beauty that has accompanied generations of Albanian women.
bride
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 30€
Three shapes of Plis, from the highlands of the North to the fields of the South. Each shape tells of its land, and its way of wearing pride. Yet beneath the white, one spirit breathes, the same warmth that binds brothers across mountains and valleys.
Brothers from the South & the North
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 40€
Inspired by the legend of Rozafa, who sacrificed herself so that the castle walls would stand. She asked that part of her body remain free to breastfeed her child, becoming a timeless symbol of sacrifice and devotion.
Buried alive
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 35€
The lahuta, a one-stringed instrument central to Albanian oral tradition. Through its sound, generations of storytellers preserved history, legends, and collective memory long before they were written down.
Lahuta
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 30€
Wrapped in the xhubleta, the ancient dress worn by women of Malësia e Madhe, Kosova and Montenegro. Black as the night. Its woven spirals, suns and moons whisper stories older than words, symbols of life. Once worn for weddings and sacred rites, it now stands as a strong symbol of women.
Northern Sisters
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 40€
An Albanian highlander wearing the Qefin, a traditional head covering associated with the northern highlanders. According to local tradition, it symbolizes readiness for sacrifice and a life lived without fear of death.
Old Man with Qefin
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 30€
Two figures, one spirit. Inspired by the unspoken bond between sisters, this work reflects a connection so deep that joy, sorrow, strength, and hope are carried together, as if shared by a single soul.
Soul Sisters
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 40€
Sword dance
Vallja e Shpatave, a traditional dance performed by men wielding swords. Combining rhythm and skill, the dance preserves memories of courage, honor, and collective strength.
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 30€
Inspired by the legend of Osman Taka, who requested one final dance before his execution. Surrounded by the plis and clothed in the fustanella, he dances as an act of dignity and freedom in the face of death.
Taka
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 35€
Warrior
A warrior from Albanian epic tradition. He embodies bravery, resilience, and the enduring spirit celebrated in folklore and heroic songs.
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 30€
Besa Besë
A sacred Albanian handshake, promise of honor, trust and keeping one's word. More than a promise, Besa represents a lifelong commitment to integrity, loyalty, and mutual respect.
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 25€
Plis
The varying forms of the plis reflect regional traditions across Albanian lands while standing as a shared symbol of identity, continuity, and belonging.
LIMITED-EDITION PRINT - 25€