Muralfest

HER SPOTLIGHT

9th EDITION

HER SPOTLIGHT

9TH EDITION

We are very excited to announce and share with you the theme of 2024 and the 9th edition of the Festival of Murals “HER SPOTLIGHT”, where we will be promoting and putting in the ‘spotlight’ our local female artists, with their creative ideas and visions birthed into magnificent murals and other eventful projects.
More to come soon…
We are very excited to announce and share with you the theme of 2024 and the 9th edition of the Festival of Murals “HER SPOTLIGHT”, where we will be promoting and putting in the ‘spotlight’ our local female artists, with their creative ideas and visions birthed into magnificent murals and other eventful projects.
More to come soon…

ARTISTS

EMONA DEDA

|MURAL FEST KOSOVA| HER SPOTLIGHT | EMONA DEDA|
As we are inching closer to the start of this year’s festival “HER Spotlight”, we are excited to start showcasing the lineup of artists that will be working to express their artistic concepts, contributing to the theme of the 9th edition, women.
Emona Deda is the first artist to be presented on the 9th edition’s lineup for “HER Spotlight”
Emona is one of our very successful local artists, that impresses us with all her work in several murals.
At just 23 years old, with a promising background in art and beyond, she will be gracing our line up and creating beautiful and meaningful expressions of her ideas.

HAVEIT

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | HAVEIT | LINE UP | ARTIST |
We hope you’re ready for some female rage, because we’re happy to show it to you❗️
Introducing @HAVEIT, a collective of 4 young women; Alketa Sylaj, Hana Qena, Vesa Qena and Lola Syla, who fight against discrimination and prejudice of any kind, including the oppression of women, nationalism and LGBTQ+ discrimination, through different artistic performances.
HAVEIT’s diligence and desire to bring forward injustice, showcase an emotive experience when witnessing their performances, which inspire us to see through the everyday problems different groups of individuals face in today’s society.
Their work remains a huge inspiration to us, and that is why they are our next artists to participate in the 9th edition’s lineup of MuralFest, “HER Spotlight”. The ideologies of HAVEIT are tied closely to this year’s theme and their artistic outputs in fighting for women’s rights create a strong example of female power in our tapestry of existence.
Join us in celebrating @haveeit‘s work and their performance in this year’s festival – “HER Spotlight”

EMILY HERR

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | EMILY HERR | LINE UP | ARTIST |
A familiar face is on the horizon to join us!!
Emily Herr, an artist we know and love, is returning to Kosovo to be on this year’s edition of MuralFest!
Emily (@herrsuite) is an acclaimed mural artist based in Richmond, always giving life to the murals of her making. Her knowledge of art makes her work incredible to witness.
She has created murals in a multitude of places, counting even in our own colorful Ferizaj. Her experimental and flexible take on projects makes her an adaptable professional, taking every task with immense energy and ethic.
As mentioned above, this will be Emily’s second time collaborating with MuralFest, which makes us very content and excited for another successful project ahead!

ANTIKA VESELI

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | ANTIKA VESELI | LINE UP | ARTIST |
We are almost halfway through the lineup for Mural Fest’s 9th edition “Her Spotlight”!
We meet Antika again, but this time she’s solo!
She joined our lineup a few years back in a group format, and even had her first experience with mural creations in 2019 with Mural Fest, on a project themed “Tolerance”. She has worked on many murals within a group and by herself, and this year she joins the other women as part of the lineup!
Antika is a vastly talented artist, having personalized her style, which is prominently showcased in her murals.
At just 21, Antika counts numerous murals around Ferizaj and beyond. With her work over the years being constantly displayed by Mural Fest, she will be adding one more to that list.

MADE BY STERN

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | MADE BY STERN | LINE UP | ARTIST |
From Switzerland with love!
We welcome Krystel Suire, or as we know her, Made By Stern (@madebystern) to our lineup!
Being halfway through the lineup makes us very excited to get closer and closer to the Festival!
And we are thrilled to present you with Made By Stern, a Swiss artist living between Prishtina, Tirana and the rest of the world!
Her love for love, music and art have compiled her into an ecstatic artist portraying an array of colors and feels into her work!
We are very happy to have Krystel as part of our lineup this year, and her artistic expression to be showcased to us!

ARBESA MUSA

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | HAVEIT | LINE UP | ARTIST |
We want to welcome Arbesa Musa to our lineup!
Arbesa is a multidisciplinary artist that works with different techniques and mediums such as painting, sculpture, sound, performance, text, installation and more.
Fragments of the daily life and her experiences as a woman are the main themes of her work. Gender, landscapes and memories take huge role in her research. She is also very connected to her motherland and concentrated in storytelling different topics that marked her life.
One of the themes Arbesa has been working on lately is traditional art or craft art, such as embroidery and weaving, which for her represents a dialogue with all the other women who worked with thread before her and were left out of art and education history.

TINA SULEJMANI

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | TINA SULEJMANI | LINE UP | ARTIST |
With the moto; we shouldn’t see the world around us only in black and white, we welcome to our lineup, the colorful Tina Sulejmani!
A painter and muralist from Prishtina, she entered the world of art from a young age, as a teenager where she has had the opportunity to experiment with different styles such as cubism, realism, psychedelic art and more. She now mainly paints throughout visionary art, to fulfill her spiritual and professional self.
Tina is currently an assistant at the University of Prishtina in the Faculty of Arts, with her wish and contribution to our country of Kosovo to develop more and more in the art field, and beyond, showcased in her many creations in different exhibitions and murals.

ELBA GASHI

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | ELBA GASHI | LINE UP | ARTIST |
Let’s say hello to one of our most talented local Artivists, Elba!
An excellent muralist and artist at only the age of 18. Elba’s work has been a statement of artistic expression, as even her handle puts it – @elbas_expressions .
We are very proud of Elba’s own development and within MuralFest Kosova, and that is why she is next to join our lineup and enchant us with her beautiful work that she has perfected thus far.
We are less than a week away from the Festival, and are very excited to share with you everything we have planned ahead!

REMA SALIHU

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | REMA SALIHU | LINE UP | ARTIST |
Continuing with another one of our Artivists turned exceptional talent: Rema Salihu
Rema (@reemaschrome) has always showed us immense skill and talent alongside her journey in Mural Fest Kosova.
We appreciate the time and effort she has put into perfecting her craft, putting attention to detail and enhancing the feeling you get when you look at her murals, therefore making her debut in Mural Fest Kosova’s lineup!
At 21 Rema counts numerous artworks to her name, all made with intricate detail and skill.
With that being said, we have one more artist left to showcase to the lineup, and we can’t wait to tell you who she is…

LEBIBE TOPALLI

| MURAL FEST KOSOVA | HER SPOTLIGHT | LEBIBE TOPALLI | LINE UP | ARTIST |
10/10! We are finally done with our showcase of the 9th edition of Mural Fest, and who better to end it with, than our own Lebibe Topalli
You may know as the woman behind Mural Fest, but now she’s front and center!
After 8 successful years organizing and conducting an internationally acknowledged festival, she’s finally setting foot on the stage, claiming a role that is so important to her and to our own organization.
Lebibe has cemented herself as an artist for over 20 years now, leaving a large heritage for women in art, and opening up so many doors, for so many people.
We as an organization look up to Lebibe and are so proud of everything she has done to get Mural Fest to where it is today!

MURALS

ARGJENDA AZEMI & REMA SALIHU

Through the lens of Mural Fest, this year is contributed to women of powerful backgrounds, stories and breakthroughs.
One of the leading and most influential women, whose leap forward and success to the international stage is admired, cherished, and always respected, and also a devoted representative of her country of Kosovo, none other than our Dua Lipa.
This initiative that was organized by Mural Fest Kosova and turned into reality by our Artivists, is a portrayal of respect, love and a showcase of a resilient woman that makes a whole nation proud, and moreover helps put our names in the spaces where it hasn’t been heard before.
The sketch is a modern pop art take on a modern pop phenomenon. The circles, a visual representation of her father and her roots.
Her father Dukagjin, and his support and influence through her life, describing the absolute uphold all girls and women should have from the fathers and the men in their lives to cultivate success and joy. Inherently her roots are illustrated as an ode to Sunny Hill☀️.
Us at Mural Fest and beyond will always be grateful of Dua’s radically optimistic stance on life, always inspiring us to look beyond our dreams, and believe in ourselves.
This project is supported by the Presidency Office of Kosovo and Coca-Cola HBC .
Sketch by En (@en___man)
@dren.osmani

ARGJENDA AZEMI

In the energy of putting women in the spotlight, our newest project as we’ve already shared with everyone, is finished and up for you all to see as of today in the “Xhevdet Doda” school in Prishtina!

Argjenda Azemi, inherently one of our artivists, has made the project come to life alongside a few wonderful helpers of different communities that enrich our artistic community in its own.
The concept from Argjenda is as follows:
This mural portrays a woman with her head up, which exudes strength while holding flowers in her hands, which symbolize hope, memory, and healing. Behind her, we see red shoes scattered around the floor, each one representing a life lost to femicide, while emphasizing the continuous battle against gender based violence. This piece aids as homage to their life and a calling for everyone to honor their lives, creating a world where women live without violence. Let this work of art be remembrance that their experiences stay with us, inciting inspiration for change
We are thankful to UNMIK – United Nations Mission in Kosovo for supporting this project and hosting a special inauguration today with appearances from some very important individuals who work towards the development of artistic life in Kosovo!
Thank you@gentrittosmanii @zarko.milosavljevic_ @clementine._tine @tesaavdiiu @almirahasanii
…..
Në energjinë e vendosjes së grave në qendër, projekti ynë më i ri siç kemi ndarë edhe më herët me ju, është përfunduar dhe i ekspozuqr për të gjithë që duan ta shohin në muret e shkollës “Xhevdet Doda” në Prishtinë!
Argjenda Azemi, njëherësh pjesë e grupit tonë të Artivistave ka bërë të mundshme realizimin e këtij projekti me skicën e saj, dhe me ndihmën e disa prej pjesëtarëve të komuniteteve që pasurojnë komunitetin tonë artistik në vete. Ajo po ashtu kishte ndihmë nga pjesëtarët tjerë të grupit të artivistave që gjithmonë bëjnë punë të duhur.
Koncepti i Argjendës është si në vijim:
Ky mural portretizon një grua me kokën lartë, e cila shfaqe forcë, duke mbajtur në duar lule që simbolizojnë shpresën, kujtesën dhe shërimin. Pas saj gjenden këpucë të kuqe të shpërndara nëpër tokë, secila përfaqëson një jetë të humbur nga femicidi, duke theksuar betejën e vazhdueshme kundër dhunës me bazë gjinore. Kjo vepër shërben si një homazh për jetën e tyre dhe si thirrje për veprim, duke i bërë thirrje shikuesve të nderojnë kujtimet e tyre duke krijuar një botë ku gratë mund të jetojnë pa dhunë. Le të jetë kjo vepër arti një kujtesë se kujtimet e këtyre grave qëndrojnë, duke ndezur frymëzim për ndryshim.
Jemi falenderues për @unmik.kosovo që mbështetën këtë projekt dhe mbajtën një inaugurim special sot me pjesëmarrje të disa individëve të rëndësishëm që punojnë drejt zhvillimit të jetës artistike në Kosovë!
Valmira Sylejmani

EMILY HERR

This very important project helps put to the spotlight a very important issue people of certain marginalized communities face. The artist @herrsuite has created this mural with the intention of directly showcasing the women from the community, with the concept as follows:

Title: Creation
“Awakened empowerment comes not with a bang but a whisper. It comes as a rising tide, slowly and steadily lifting us from previous notions – gutting uncertainty and self-doubt. It is linked to celestial
bodies, as bodies of water to the moon. Our body – a vessel. We move through our mother’s hands into a lapidary world, and must be bothered, rubbed and polished. This inexorable voyage lands us with lifted
eyelids. We see ourselves ashore, alone, glittering. And we must ask, what is the sound of one hand clapping?” – quote from Matthew Marinello
I hope that this mural helps people of Dubrave and beyond see themselves as creative sources. To this end, it was important for me to collaborate with the neighbor who is depicted as the subject of this piece, and the children who helped paint the colorful background.
This project was founded by the U.S. Embassy Pristina, Kosovo
Photo: @dren.osmani & @donit.avdyli

MADEBYSTERN

From Switzerland with love we have @madebystern
She joined our lineup this year and made it so much fun with her wonderful mural
Below we have her explanation of her work:
I worked on the unicorn which is really magical and powerful creature, where it is an allegory of the soul of a human! Humans should develop spiritually and not with ego! With this, I wanted to show how we should pay more attention to others around us and slowly build a place where we don’t act with ego but with soul: Tolerance, light, love, peace and support are words that build the future ! In every good there is bad, and every bad there is good, where it is an invitation to the Albanian world to find balance within itself and remove the complexes that should not be! The people of Kosovo are a wonder of the world, and an Albanian can create another planet with his/her own power and will So Her Spotlight, or how she lights up others by showing her true soul!
@dren.osmani

REMA SALIHU

Going further into the showcase of murals for HER Spotlight, we don’t stray from the location of the previous one we showed you! From the women’s prison we have Rema’s (@reemaschrome) mural!
The mural depicts a woman gazing at the sun, with hopeful rays illuminating her face. Her expression conveys determination and calmness, symbolizing her desire to leave behind a challenging past and embrace a brighter future. The sun represents hope. This mural serves as an inspiring reminder that a hopeful future is always within reach, regardless of the difficulties of the past.

ELBA

“The Landscape” sketch by Elba Gashi
Next up on the list for a showcase is Elba Gashi !
Elba’s mural for HER Spotlight has been one with a lot of meaning and somewhere that is not your usual mural creation location – the women’s prison.
Elba wanted to express her perspective using a style that combines realism and imagination. She tried to bring nature inside for the prisoners, creating a more comfortable environment and helping them feel connected to the nature they are missing.
Photo by @douggillen Fifth Wall

ANTIKA

We are thrilled to put to the spotlight the incredible talent of young artist @anttikkaa , who takes part in the lineup for the 9th edition of Mural Fest – “HER Spotlight” which was brought to life through her mesmerizing artwork.
Antika’s mural is a powerful illustration of the captivating charm and strength of women. In her piece, a girl floats gracefully through space and time, her hair gently embraced by the sun’s golden rays. This image symbolizes the deep freedom and inner strength of women, capturing their natural desire to shine brightly and confidently reveal their true selves. The sun, serving as her divine companion, unites their powers and light, pushing the boundaries of strength and reaching extraordinary heights.
Join us in celebrating Antika Veseli’s extraordinary contribution to this year’s festival. Her artwork not only captivates the eye but also speaks to the heart, reminding us of the limitless power and brilliance of women.
@donitsfolder

EMONA DEDA

Continuing with presenting the next murals from our wonderful lineups artists for HER Spotlight, we have Emona Deda, whose roots come from Mural Fest itself having done her first mural in 2018. This year as part of the lineup she comes with her transformation of a local building wall in the center of Ferizaj, with the concept as follows:
The development of a country depends a lot on the roles and rights that women possess. It is a fundamental step to ensure harmony between the two sexes that symbiosis together. The Albanian woman, like any other woman in the world, faces various and challenging stereotypes, starting from the freedom of expression, dress, ethics and not excluding her morals. All these two decades ago, were the stops to achieve a development in all possible aspects. Since the female being is defined as a holy and strong creature, she needed many years of confrontation with the opposite sex, many difficulties to overcome and overturning the laws that were set by the male gender itself.
@Donit Avdyli

LEBIBE TOPALLI

Erdhi koha që të ndajmë me ju punimet e realizuara për edicionin e 9-të të Mural Fest: HER Spotlight.
Po fillojmë me një punim shumë të rëndësishëm e kuptimplotë, nga një person shumë i rëndësishëm për Mural Fest: @lebibetopalli , me koncept në vijim:
“Burrat nën hie, lozin, kuvendojnë, pika që s’u bie, se nga gratë rrojnë!
Gratë venë nd’arë, dhe në vreshta gratë, gruaja korr barë, punon dit’ e natë.” A.Çajupi
Murali “Në Hijen e Dritës” , paraqet një grua gjysmë të kërrusur, e cila bart një barrë të rëndë në shpinë. Ky imazh është frymëzuar nga një fotografi reale e bërë në një fshat rural në Shqipëri, ku një grua shihet duke bartur një barrë të rëndë kashte, ndërsa burri i saj ecën para saj i qetë, me cigare në dorë.
Në këtë vepër, kam zgjedhur të transformoj këtë ngarkesë të rëndë në një tufë lulesh. Ky ndryshim simbolik përfaqëson respektin dhe mirënjohjen për fuqinë dhe sakrificën e grave, të cilat shpesh bartin barrën më të rëndë brenda familjes, si në aspektin fizik ashtu edhe në atë emocional. Pavarësisht nga përkushtimi dhe mundi i tyre, këto gra shpesh janë të përjashtuara nga trashëgimia dhe vlerësimi, si nga familjet e tyre të origjinës ashtu edhe nga ato të bashkëshortit.
Ky mural dedikohet për të gjitha gratë që luftojnë në heshtje dhe që shpesh mbeten në hije. është një thirrje për të njohur dhe për të vlerësuar kontributin jetik të grave në shoqëri, është një reflektim artistik mbi forcat e heshtura që e mbajnë botën të lëvizë përpara dhe një thirrje për të krijuar një të ardhme ku sakrificat dhe përkushtimi i grave nuk kalojnë pa u vënë re dhe pa u vlerësuar.
Foto referencë nga @Arbeni Çeli
@Donit Avdyli & @Valmira Sylejmani

PERFORMANCES

HAVEIT

Yesterday, we had the powerful performance from @haveeit leaving us all shaken and full of goosebumps having witnessed such an astonishing moment, explaining the distress we all feel when the cases of femicide happened in Kosovo the past months.
Thank you HAVEIT for creating a mind boggling performance for both us and the citizens of Ferizaj to witness. We stand strong and condemn all the unjust murders of women that have happened in Kosovo.

EXHIBITIONS

ARBESA MUSA

Today’s exhibition was a very successful one for both Mural Fest and Arbesa (@arbesamuse).
Arbesa is a wonderful artist with a very important message for all of us. The hidden truths of women behind and ahead of us inspire everyone to realize women’s problems, trials and tribulations for so many years now.
We thank Arbesa for bringing forward an important cause, within Mural Fest Kosova
….
Ekspozita e sotme është një shumë e rëndësishme për Mural Fest dhe gjithashtu vet Abresën.
Arbesa është një artiste e mrekullueshme me një mesazh të rëndësishëm për të gjithë ne. Të giitha të vërtetat e fshehura para dhe pas nesh na inspirojnë të gjithë ne për problemet e grave, për shumë vite tani.
E falenderojmë Arbesën që ka vendosur para një kauzë, brenda Mural Fest Kosova!