Maks Velo, an architect, painter, writer, publicist, and distinguished intellectual, was born in Paris. His multifaceted artistic career is notable for its uniqueness. Velo completed his higher studies at the University of Tirana, specializing in construction engineering and architecture. He was the architect behind many public, social, cultural, and industrial buildings in Albania while also pursuing his passion for painting. In 1978, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in a political prison due to his modern art, which fell outside the confines of socialist realism. Velo’s artistic output can be divided into two distinct periods: the first lasted until 1978 when 468 of his works were seized and burned by the Albanian police following a court decision, and the second began after 1990, during which he held over 40 personal exhibitions in Albania and France. His pictorial style was influenced by modern European painting, showcasing an abstraction of form and the development of his individual artistic voice. Maks Velo passed away in Tirana in 2020. (In the photo: Maks Velo)
Text: Ylli Drishti, 100 years of Tirana in painting; 1920-2020, “Mediaprint“, Tirana, 2020, page 37
Photo: © https://www.albinfo.ch/vdiq-arkitekti-e-piktori-i-njohur-maks-velo/
Graphic processing: AHCF
