Most Albanian souvenirs are much like trinkets sold in other countries--cheap, and something you end up hiding away once you get back home. So we decided to avoid the tourist items, and try to find some lovely pieces of art that are of landscapes, or otherwise representative of the country, and that will remind us of our three years in Albania. We've been fortunate to find some beautiful items that we will bring home with us next year.
"Figurë Vajze" or "Figure of a Girl" by Gëzim Borova. We were told this is a picture of a traditional costume from the north. The unique thing about this piece is it is a straw mosaic--very tiny pieces of dyed straw pieced together to form a mosaic. A piece like this can take up to six months to finish. Below is a closeup of the girl's sleeve. Most straw pieces are about 1/8". The mosaic itself is 14 x 23".
These two oil on canvas paintings are by Omeri, an artist we found painting in the Studio e Rira in Tirana. Above is the lake at Pogradec (pronounced Pogradets), a spot we have yet to visit, and below is the "Blue Eye", a very deep, clear, and fast-moving spring between Gjirokaster and Saranda. The Blue Eye was a favorite fishing/camping spot of the communist elite, and ordinary folks were not allowed to hunt or fish here. Now it's open to the public and is a beautiful place to visit. 
3 comments:
How pretty! It's a great idea to take home some original art instead of trinkets.
You should put a photo of your silver filigree piano here in the art post too. I think it's so awesome!
'Loved your touching, inspiring letter, Liz, and especially the link to your blog, since I am one who can never find my way around unless someone takes me by the hand and leads me . . . ,and what fascinating blog entries--so great to see some of your family with you there in Albania, as well. What an incredible mission experience you are having! Thanks so much for sharing it so we can feel all that spunk and spirit.
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