Agim Zajmi

Agim Zajmi was an Albanian painter and diplomat, who was born in Tirana in 1936. He studied fine arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and graduated in 1961. He returned to Albania and worked as a scenographer at the Opera and Ballet Theater, and later at the National Theater. He also co-founded the Drawing Artistic School, the first fine arts school in Tirana, along with other prominent artists. He participated in the anti-fascist resistance during World War II, and exhibited his works nationally and internationally. He was appointed as the First Secretary of the Albanian Embassy in London in 1933, where he became a well-known painter. He met and befriended the expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka, and shared a studio with him in Kensington. He painted various themes, such as portraits, landscapes, historical events, and folk motifs. He also illustrated the first Albanian language primer, published in 1945. He decided to remain in London and gave up his diplomatic career to concentrate on painting. He died in 2013, and was honored as the People's Painter of Albania. He left behind a legacy of innovation, creativity, and courage in the Albanian art.