Helidon Haliti

My name is Helidon Haliti. I was born in the city of Lushnja in May 4th 1968. I studied art in secondary in Berat city (Artistic Lyceum), and specialized for graphic art. Berat was a unique city which nicely balanced the tranquility of Lushnja, my hometown. Together they played an important role in my artistic formation. I can also say that my pedagogues like Agron Polovina and Agron Bregu also played an important role. On my third year of the Art school in Berat, I won an important Award at the “European Youth Exhibition”, Oslo, Norway. I continued my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania. I remember those times clearly. It was on the train to Tirana to attend the competition to enter the Academy when met Arben Bajo, a very talented sculptor from Gjirokastra city. We became friends from that time, and unfortunately, none of us won the right to study at first time. It was not easy to qualify for such a competition.   In 1989 I started my studies in Tirana at the monumental atelier, with Professor Edi Rama, Edi Hila and Jorgji Gjikopulli. They were really beautiful years, full of emotions and hard studies. I always worked very hard.  In 1992 when I finished my studies, it was a hard time for Albania. The changes in the system presented many challenges for all us. Everyone just wanted to escape from Albania, the people were so impatient to know the world around us. So after my studies I immigrated to Athens, Greece. I did not know Greek, but I learned it really quick. I stayed in Greece for about 12 years, and after a break for 3 years I started artistic activities, with the help of the Albanian embassy and cooperation with artists such as Artur Muharemi, Artan Marku, Bilbil Mazreku and Arben Bajo, most of them artist friends from Academy.  We organized beautiful exhibitions and other activities. These activities continued until 2002. After that, we went our separate ways and moved to different countries. I returned back to Albania, to be reunited with the well-known artist Artur Muharremi in Tirana in 2005, where we contributed to establish the first private Art museum “Mezuraj Museum“ in Tirana, Albania.  In 2009, at the Mezuraj Muzeum, I opened a wonderful and powerful personal exhibition that was accompanied with a very high quality monograph catalogue. Since 2009 I attended various personal exhibitions in Tirana, (Prishtina National Museum), Kosovo, Netherland, Greece, Madrid, Paris, Montecarlo, Monaco etc. In 2012, I opened my personal exhibition in National Gallery in Tirana, Albania, and in 2013 I won a prestigious award “KULT”, from Kult Academy, with motivation “The best artist of the year.” In 2014 with my friend and colleague Ormira Lulani, and two other friends from other professions, we created VIZart Cultural Organization. I was the founder and president of Vizart. In 2015 we organized the first International Watercolor Biennale in Albania, in which 400 artist from all the world participated. This was an amazing event and experience and such activities still continue today. Now VIZart is a very well-known cultural organization, which organizes numerous successful biennales, international Festivals and Exhibitions bringing to Albania great masters that deliver live demonstrations for a large public and students.  Although I left the role of the president of VIZart, due to professional commitments as an artist and & professor of Art Academy, I continue to work as a curator and author of the relevant catalogues that VIZart made. I am participating on many biennales and exhibitions around the world as in India, Italy, Peru, Turkey, Indonesia, Russia, China, I also deliver live demonstrations in these events around the world for students and art lovers.  I am the winner of several international awards, such as “Best Master “ In Hong Kong , “Best Artist Award “in China . “Best landscape artist” in Netherland, "Excellence Award “in Prague, "MERIT AWARD " in Malaysia and many other countries, such as Bulgaria, USA , Singapore, Korea, Italy, Indonesia , etc. In 2021 I opened my personal exhibition “STILL A LIFE “at the National Historical Museum, Tirana, Albania. This was a great exhibition which drew the attention of many art lovers and art critics. One month later I opened my Personal Exhibition “Pink Poetry” in Vlora city. This year I plan to organize and curate the Tirana Mural Fest that will be done in collaboration with Décor Tirana, which has the domain of 3 festivals from now. I have organized and curated several street Art festivals precisely in the city of Dimal, Patos and Belsh. I am the author of 7 (seven) International Watercolor Biennale catalogues, 2 (two) personal monographs, and also author of the Self-portrait Catalogue in 2019, “1 International Self –Portrait Biennale” that Vizart organized, and the art catalogue “Vizatime te artisteve shqiptare para & pas 90”in 2020. From 2014-2021 I was a Member of the Board of RTSH (Albanian Public Television). I am a Member of the Cultural Board of the Municipality of Tirana, Albania Member of the artistic board of TOB.  (Theater of Opera & Ballet)  I work as a professor at the University of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania.