The inspiring story of the Osmanaj Accord: In Kosovo Gobban, American worker Facebook

The handsome young man would live a modest life until 2013 when he would leave for America. There he would face the slaps of art, competition, dirty, but finally, the inevitable successes for what he works for and, as we Albanians say, heat up the chair.

One Albanian's modesty and gegnity have not disappeared, even though he now lives on a different frequency. 98 percent of his day in New York is full of art and the remaining one percent of it is left for anything, like any artist who probably hasn't heard much of the word rest and relax.

His relationship with Kosovo remains strong. Kosovo artist, who in America is definitely taking the country he deserves, recently cooperated with Facebook with the social network's residential artistic programme.

Osmanaj's beauty is his own heart, inevitably linked to Kosovo, as well as his workings that almost always, a thread of periphery, have with our Kosovo, war, emotions, life at a different time, difficult.

We're bringing in an interview with Compatation today, informing them of it, but bringing them his best artistic works.

KultPlus: We're starting with the latest success, participation in the Facebook residence. Can you tell us more, from the start to the end how you got a part?

In the month of March 2018, I was a member of Spring Break Shaw, where I participated in the work entitled Excursion. "Excursion" is a work of interactive installations where I discussed my and my family's trip from Kosovo to Montenegro during the war in 1999. The fair's curator was Sarah Han, a new curator from New York. With this exhibition I received various criticisms, fortunately positive criticism. Spring Break Shaw was my first exhibition at a higher level in the artistic field in New York, where I also established new artistic connections and received various exhibitions in the future. So the roads began to open.

And there was co-operation with Facebook, where the cure for the art program from the Facebook office of Tamara Weg invited me to become part of the upcoming project to be held in the New York Facebook Offices. There I had the opportunity to create three mal/pictures of the large format, two of them 13,500, and the other was 8m by 3m. The theme of the three works is primarily about homesickness for past time, memories, and how they and the present provide future guidance.

The implementation of three paintings has lasted seven weeks of work, five weeks at the studio, and another two weeks of installation at the Facebook Office.

KultPlus: Too often Kosovo is the focus of your artistic works? How strong is your relationship with Kosovo, since it finds place in your artistic affairs?

My relationship with the place I grew up is very much alive. The family and most of the people I know live in Kosovo, everything I've experienced until the age of 23 is part of my life and day-to-day today.

KultPlus: In 2013 you went to America, first as a construction worker? How did you find out?

The beginning of life in America has been very interesting, I haven't had much knowledge of New York, about America in general, it was a big change, and especially if it comes from the Italians in Times Square in New York.

At first, I had to find work to start a normal life. As he grew up in Kosovo, it's hard and shythes, a life experience at the same time, we grew up under different circumstances that I believe they made me more prepared for life. One of these experiences is when an uncle or a neighbor called you and took me crazy.

KultPlus: Since we're at the bottom of the core, you've used your art to connect it to the construction worker... Tell us more about Construction Stories?

Many generations in Kosovo know the paper. So first I started working at the construction worker in America, during that time I started learning more about New York.

In the construction worker during his spare time, I painted on the walls of the building, mainly for the experiment in art and various materials available there. After a while, I also had an interview in New York Times for my work that I had performed in the construction field, and this was the moment after which I tried to get more active in the field of art in New York City. At the same time, I was still working as a builder. The experience in the builder has been not easy, but wonderful, I had the opportunity to experiment with various materials.

The techniques I researched in art at the time I used today in my works.

KultPlus: Did you have an artistic career in Kosovo before you left for America? Would you have the same artistic level if you stayed in Kosovo?

In Kosovo I have had a long career as a shepherd. Desire and Andra were great, but no, I haven't had an artistic career in Kosovo.

KultPlus: How's a regular New York Judgment Day? Is New York the right place for an artist to create contacts and networks?

Almost every day it's different, I start the day with a cup of coffee at the apartment or studio, most of it working in studios, the rest of the countries mostly in New York: at galleries, various artistic events that are very important for the creation of a social artistic circle.

KultPlus: Which medium are you working with lately? Your interesting work is sculptures, installations, other media. How wide is your field of activity and what are the plans for the settlement, will we also have exhibits in Kosovo?

Over the past few years, I've been experimenting with the possibility that my technique that I use will be able to access later in various artistic forms: painting, coughing, installation, sculpture, and other media forms.

After the Facebook project I had a personal exhibition at a gallery in East Village New York, where the curator was Gabrielle Sirkin.

Right now, I'm having the biggest studio time in new art works. I have a few different offers from some galleries in Europe, but we're under discussion. In Kosovo it will certainly be a pleasure when the opportunity comes to expose, at the moment it does not exist as a plan, but soon I believe something will be new in this direction.

KultPlus: What is your message to young artists in Kosovo, aiming to appear in the country or even abroad?

Simple message: Don't stop my work, no matter what the circumstances. Experiences abroad are always important and necessary. I know that in Kosovo not every artist has the opportunity to get out of the country for greater experiences, but remains hopeful that other artists -- those of us who lived in artistic metropolis, with different programs in the future trying to bring culture and artistic experiences to Kosovo.