Prishtina, 10 September 2026
Dear Professor Xhevdet Xhafa,
Dear Xhafa family,
Honourable Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ms Saranda Bogujevci, and Deputy Minister Tijana Veljkovic,
Dear artists, curators, cultural workers, art enthusiasts and citizens,
Distinguished guests,
It is a pleasure and a particular honour to be here together this evening, at the National Gallery of Kosovo, on an evening dedicated to one of the most important and distinctive names in visual art in Kosovo, Xhevdet Xhafa.
This exhibition gives us an opportunity to pause, to look and to reflect on an entire life devoted to art. Seven decades of artistic creation are much more than a period of time. They represent seven decades of our history, of social, cultural and political changes, of countless efforts and major transformations that our country, Kosovo, has gone through. And throughout all these years, Xhafa has been a witness to, but also an active creator of, this history. His work is part of our cultural memory. It is part of the journey of visual art in Kosovo and a testament to the power of art to transcend time, circumstances and borders.
Professor Xhafa is one of those artists who have not viewed art merely as a creative expression embodied in a work, but as a way of thinking, communicating and giving meaning to the time in which they have lived. For this reason, this exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity, particularly for younger generations.
Through his works, they can discover a great Albanian artist and a part of the history of art in Kosovo. Tonight, we are not merely looking at works created over seven decades. We are looking at an entire life of searching, experimentation, perseverance and dedication. And this is precisely where the greatness of an artist lies: in the ability to continue searching, changing and creating without losing one’s artistic identity.
You are part of a generation that gave the art of Kosovo a strong identity and a distinctive voice. Your contribution, beyond the number of works you have created, is measured by the impact you have had on the development of culture and artistic thought in our country.
Our tastes are what they are also because of Xhafa. Thank you very much, Professor.
Tonight, is also a special moment for the National Gallery of Kosovo. After a long period of work, dedication and transformation, the return of this institution to the country’s cultural life takes on particular significance precisely through an exhibition such as this one.
Cultural institutions are not merely buildings. They are spaces where memory is preserved, creativity is presented and dialogue between generations is built. The National Gallery of Kosovo has a responsibility to preserve this heritage, promote it and make it accessible to the public, but also to present Kosovo’s art to the world. Therefore, the opening of this exhibition is an important moment for the institution itself as well.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Xhafa family, which has made such a valuable contribution to the staging and curation of this exhibition. It is a beautiful example of how the family, the institution and the artistic community can come together to preserve and pass on a valuable heritage.
And you can see for yourselves, and you know as well as I do, that the artistic output of all these artists, led by Xhafa, is so extensive that our National Gallery can hardly accommodate it all.
But tonight, above all, is the night of Xhevdet Xhafa.
Professor, you have spent most of your life in the service of art. You have created in different times, facing different challenges, but always with an unwavering passion for creativity.
This exhibition is also an expression of gratitude for what you have created, for what you have passed on from one generation to another, for your impact on the art of Kosovo and for the mark you have left on our culture.
It is the duty of a society to honour its artists while they are still among us. On this occasion, I would like to emphasize that recognizing their value and merit, as well as preserving their work for generations to come, is the duty of every citizen, and especially of every public official. Because a great work of art does not belong only to the time in which it is created. It also belongs to the future. I am convinced that your works will continue to speak to many generations after us.
Let us therefore view this exhibition not only as a retrospective of an extraordinary career, but as an encounter with our artistic history, our social memory and a part of Kosovo’s cultural and aesthetic identity.
Professor Xhafa, I thank you for everything you have given to our art. I wish you health and prosperity, a long life beyond a century, and may this exhibition also be a testament that the work of a great artist does not end with time—it continues to live through his works and in our hearts, in the hearts of the public.
Thank you!