At this 12 months’s Frieze London and Artwork Basel Paris festivals, many guests had been shocked to seek out works by an sudden artist: Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama. Rama—who secured an unprecedented fourth time period in Could after campaigning to carry Albania into the EU—can also be a longtime artist. Educated at Tirana’s Academy of Superb Arts, he spent a number of years working in Paris earlier than turning to politics within the late Nineteen Nineties.
Since then, he has continued to make artwork, exhibiting on the Centre Pompidou in Paris and twice on the Venice Biennale, and sometimes remarking that drawing has helped him endure lengthy authorities conferences.
On 9 October, the Berlin gallery Société introduced it had added Rama—a charismatic and sometimes controversial chief at present embroiled in a number of scandals—to its roster of a dozen artists.
The gallery wasted no time showcasing its latest addition, dedicating a whole wall at Frieze London in October to round 25 of Rama’s vibrant pen-and-oil drawings, accompanied by two painted bronze sculptures displayed on ceramic plinths. A smaller collection of works—three drawings and a sculpture—had been proven at Artwork Basel Paris the next week.
Rama makes works together with pen-and-oil drawings and painted bronze sculptures, reminiscent of Untitled (2025) Picture: Trevor Good; © Edi Rama
Julia Ballantyne-Manner, a accomplice at Société, tells The Artwork Newspaper that round half the drawings bought and discussions are ongoing with potential consumers for all three sculptures. “It was tremendous properly obtained,” she says of Rama’s artwork. “Lots of people don’t know [about Rama the artist] and they’re after all very shocked and intrigued to find him.”
She provides: “You even have individuals who have lengthy been following him and are thrilled to see him with us now and being represented.”
Ballantyne-Manner says she had lengthy been “carefully in contact” with Rama, and most not too long ago started discussing illustration after attending his solo present at Marian Goodman Gallery in Paris final 12 months. “It’s a brand new profile for us—we don’t have every other artist-politicians,” she says. “The brand new work is absolutely thrilling. He’s incorporating far more bronze into the ceramics.”
Oltsen Gripshi, an Albanian modern artist and critic who printed a e book on Rama’s artwork final 12 months, says the artist had moved on from Communist-era Realism to plot a singular summary language impressed by Kandinsky. “I think about it a brand new type of neo-Expressionism for its mix of expressionism, abstractionism and formalism,” Gripshi says.
Cleansing up his picture?
Rama returned to Albania in 1998 to function minister of tradition, later gaining worldwide consideration because the mayor of Tirana (2000-11) for portray drab Communist-era residence blocks in daring colors. Since turning into prime minister in 2013, his authorities has overseen the restoration of main heritage websites together with the Nationwide Historic Museum, the Venetian Tower of Durrës and the Kurçaj Bridge.
But his administration has additionally been dogged by corruption scandals. In 2023, the previous atmosphere minister Lefter Koka obtained a five-year jail sentence for accepting bribes within the so-called “incinerator scandal”, whereas Arben Ahmetaj, a former deputy prime minister, stays internationally wished on prices of cash laundering, false declaration of wealth and abuse of workplace.
It’s a brand new profile for us—we don’t have every other artist-politicians. The brand new work is thrilling
Julia Ballantyne-Manner, Société
After Rama criticised Albania’s anti-corruption authority following the arrest of Tirana’s mayor Erion Veliaj, a detailed ally, the authority accused him in February of undermining judicial independence.
Armando Lulaj, a up to date artist and long-time critic of Rama, referred to as the prime minister’s artwork a PR stunt to wash up his picture, claiming the prime minister withheld funds from detractors. “My group, which criticises his artwork and the use that energy makes of cultural artwork, is marginalised and can’t obtain any public cash,” he says.
Ballantyne-Manner denies that Rama’s creative exercise is about optics. “He studied artwork, he taught artwork and he was a practising artist in Paris earlier than getting into politics,” she says.
Rama’s works additionally appeared at Artwork Basel Miami Seashore final week, and will likely be proven in a solo exhibition throughout Gallery Weekend Berlin subsequent April.
