“Life and Death” is a solo exhibition by artist Faton Kryeziu, held at the GOCAT Gallery and curated by Suzana Varvarica. The concept of the exhibition delves into the inevitable duality between life and death that permeates every living being. Displayed in the gallery space are 27 different oil paintings. The exhibition will be open to the public from April 10, 2025 – May 25, 2025.
For a long time, through imagery and symbolism, the artist has aimed to explore life and death as the essence of his creativity. The exhibition is structured into three different series, divided into themes representing death, birth/life, and a series featuring two portraits.
All these series are expressed as both existential and philosophical phenomena. The paintings that represent “death” include: “Burned Land”, depicting a scorched natural landscape but with the promise of renewal and rebirth, restarting a natural cycle from the beginning; “In Burned Land”, which portrays life as an eternal embryo that never dies and resists time and extinction; “Run on Burnt Land”; and “Man Made of Earth”, which centers on the inseparable duality of opposing forces – good and evil, darkness and light.
The next cyclical series representing “life” includes the paintings: “The Field,” “The Tower,” “The Fairies’ Meadow,” and “Gjirokastra”, which also address the theme of life and the confrontation between light and darkness. The symbolism used in these works is easily understandable. The artist aims to touch the audience through the historical and territorial narrative of Albania – beginning with its natural landscapes, highland towers, and the city of Gjirokastra (a reference to the medieval period).
The portraits form the final cycle of this exhibition. One of the portraits depicts writer Ismail Kadare (1936–2024), and the other is a self-portrait of the artist. Even through this series, it is shown that beyond physical death, the existence of a distinguished figure like Kadare continues to ‘live’ through the artist and the audience, a continuity that knows no end.
Faton Kryeziu is a painter and visual artist from Prizren, Kosovo, born in 1979. He began his artistic journey in 1998 by enrolling in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Pristina, majoring in painting. In 2002, he completed his undergraduate studies, and between 2002 and 2004, he pursued a master’s degree in painting.
Kryeziu is known for his unique approach to art, avoiding repetition and always seeking research and innovation. He views the blank canvas as a challenge to always start something new. Kryeziu’s work has been exhibited in many countries worldwide, including the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. He has sold over 400 artworks to private collections and has received high praise for his contribution to contemporary art.
