Kompozcon 1 (Composition 1) Painting

Naim Gashi (b. 1974) is of Albanian descent and was born and raised in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. From a young age he demonstrated exceptional artistic talent, and in high school he began to explore painting with oils and acrylics. He eventually went on to study fine art at the University of Pristina in 1996 under the guidance of notable Albanian artists including Tahir Emra and Xhevdet Xhafa. In 1998 the Albanian resistance group, the Kosovo Liberation Army, began their attacks on Serbian law enforcement and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The attacks were the start of the Albanian peoples’ response to what the United Nations called "a systematic campaign of terror, including murders, rapes, arsons and severe maltreatments" carried out by Serbian & Yugoslav forces, and were the spark that began what we know today as the Kosovo War. During this time, Naim was forced by the government to leave the University, his home, and Pristina. Alongside his fellow exiled Albanian students, he continued his studies in a small home in Pristina until being forced to flee completely, escaping to the countryside of Macedonia. After the war ended he chose to return to Kosovo to finish his studies, obtaining his master's degree in 2002. While still in Kosovo, his work was featured in many notable exhibits and galleries. However, shortly after the war he chose to move to the United States to attempt to build a better life for himself and his family. Naim's master thesis and many of his works to date reflect his experiences living through this war; a seldom seen lens into the survivors and landscapes of a horrifying political oppression. He is currently residing in and working out of New York City.