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Zef Shoshi Zef Pashko Shoshi (born 1939) is an Albanian painter,[1] painting in socialist realism.[2] Shoshi is considered a national art treasure in Albania.[1][3][4] BiographyShoshi was born in Tirana, Albania, in 1939, the son of a bank clerk and amateur painter.[1] His earliest drawings depicted ships on the horizon during a stay in Ulcinj in 1943 or 1944.[5] Between 1957 and 1961,[1] Shoshi studied at the Ilya Repin Institution in Leningrad, Russia,[1][2] during which time he studied under Boris Ioganson, and was a contemporary of artist Sali Shijaku and sculptor Vilson Kilica. Shoshi later graduated from the Tirana Institute of Arts.[1] Shoshi's talent and technique was recognised in Albanian art circles.[6] His paintings reflected communist themes, such as the working class in fields and factories.[1][7] He particularly documented life in the Zadrima region, reflecting its traditional and cultural heritage in daily life.[1][5] His style pays particular attention to the human figure and face, lending Shoshi to be best known for his portraits.[5] In 1974, Shoshi was commissioned to paint Enver Hoxha, Albania's dictator.[1] After the fall of communism, Shoshi's works attracted the attention of international collectors, particularly in the United States.[5] References
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