Vilson Kilica
Vilson Kilica | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 June 1932 Vlorë, Albania |
| Died | 7 July 2016 (aged 84) Tirana, Albania |
| Education | Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum; Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture |
| Known for | Painting, mural painting, mosaic art, art education |
| Notable work | Brigadierët; co-author of the mosaic The Albanians on the façade of the National History Museum |
| Movement | Socialist realism; Albanian modernism |
| Relatives | Holta Sina |
| Awards | Piktor i Merituar; Piktor i Popullit |
Vilson Kilica (2 June 1932 – 7 July 2016) was an Albanian painter, muralist, mosaic artist and art educator. He was one of the Albanian artists trained in the Soviet Union after the Second World War and later became one of the founders and first leaders of the Higher Institute of Arts in Tirana, today the University of Arts, Tirana.[1][2]
His works include historical compositions, portraits, landscapes, still lifes and monumental works. He was one of the five artists who designed the large mosaic The Albanians on the façade of the National History Museum in Tirana.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Kilica was born in Vlorë on 2 June 1932. His family was associated with Fier; Albanian sources describe the Kilica family as having roots in Voskopojë and later in the Seman and Fier area.[4]
He studied at the Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum in Tirana from 1948 to 1952, where he was taught by painter Sadik Kaceli.[4] In 1952 he began studies in painting at the Ilya Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad, then in the Soviet Union, where he studied until 1958. Albanian art historian Ylli Drishti described him as one of the Albanian students who completed full studies in painting there with excellent results.[1][2]
Career
[edit]
After completing his studies, Kilica returned to Albania and worked in state cultural and educational institutions. From 1958 to 1960 he worked as an inspector for the arts in the Ministry of Education.[4] He later became closely associated with the creation of higher art education in Albania. Sources describe him as one of the main contributors to the establishment of the Higher Institute of Arts, including the selection of teaching staff and the preparation of study programmes.[2] He was also described as the first dean or director of the institute, now the University of Arts, Tirana.[1][5]
Kilica taught at the Higher Institute of Arts and led the studios of easel painting and monumental painting.[1] According to a biographical chronology published by Shqiptarja.com, he was transferred to Fier from 1975 to 1981, where he worked as a drawing teacher, before returning to Tirana and resuming teaching at the Higher Institute of Arts from 1981 to 1991.[4]
Art
[edit]
Kilica's creative work covered several genres of visual art, including historical compositions, portraits, landscapes and still lifes.[5] His career developed during the communist period in Albania, when official art was shaped by the doctrine of socialist realism. Albanian and foreign commentators have also discussed elements of modernist tendency and individual style in his work, particularly in his use of colour and composition.[5][6]
The National Gallery of Arts in Tirana preserves about forty works by Kilica from the period 1960–1989.[5] Panorama described Brigadierët as one of the symbolic works of modernist tendencies in Albanian art during the 1970s.[2] Other sources have discussed his 1976 portrait Shoku Enver Hoxha within the context of Albanian socialist realist painting.[6]
Monumental works
[edit]
Kilica was one of the artists who designed the mosaic The Albanians on the façade of the National History Museum in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana. The work was installed in 1981 and covers the front of the museum with scenes from Albanian history. EU4Culture describes the mosaic as one of the finest examples of late Albanian socialist realism and lists Kilica among its designers, together with Josif Droboniku, Agim Nebiu, Anastas Kostandini and Aleksandër Filipi.[3]
Exhibitions and collections
[edit]Kilica took part in national and international exhibitions organized by Albania before 1990, including exhibitions in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, China, Italy, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Romania and France.[4] In 1993 he exhibited at the TE&GI gallery in Tirana, the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana and the international Onufri exhibition. He held a solo exhibition at Hotel Europark in Tirana in 1996, exhibited jointly with Sali Shijaku in Pristina in 1998, and held solo exhibitions at the art gallery in Fier in 2003 and 2011.[4]
His works are held by the National Gallery of Arts in Tirana, the art gallery in Fier, private collections in Albania and private collections abroad.[2][4]
Honours and legacy
[edit]Kilica received the Albanian titles Piktor i Merituar in 1969 and Piktor i Popullit in 1987.[7] The art gallery in Fier bears his name. According to Albania's official tourism website, the "Vilson Kilica" Art Gallery is an important cultural institution in Fier and has hosted exhibitions of painting, sculpture and contemporary art by Albanian and international artists.[8]
Death
[edit]Kilica died in Tirana on 7 July 2016 at the age of 84.[5][1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Vilson Kilica- Lamtumirë mjeshtrit të tablove historike e politike!". BalkanWeb (in Albanian). 9 July 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Mile, Alma (9 July 2016). "Shuhet Vilson Kilica, mjeshtri i pikturës shqiptare". Panorama (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Mosaic of the Façade at the National Historical Museum". EU4Culture. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "In memoriam/ Vilson Kilica, tre vjet pa mjeshtrin e parë të pikturës moderne shqiptare". Shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 7 July 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Intervista/ Drishti: Vilson Kilica nxiti i pari modenitetin në pikturën shqiptare". Shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). 8 July 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 "A Style and a Half or Half a Style?: Modernism, Socialist Realism, and Postmodernism in Albanian Art". Afterart. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ Frashëri, Dash (18 February 2024). "Vilson Kilica, "akademiku i arteve"". Dashart (in Albanian). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ ""Vilson Kilica" Art Gallery". Official Tourism Website of Albania. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
External links
[edit]- "Vilson Kilica" Art Gallery at Albania's official tourism website
- Mosaic of the façade at the National Historical Museum at EU4Culture