Josef Kote

Art Brokerage: Josef Kote Albanian Artist. The paintings of Josef Kote are symphonies of light and color. They are lyrically stunning and romantic, edgy and current. Kote achieves this delicate balance of seemingly contradictory qualities through his complete mastery in technique, and through years of experimenting to find his own unique style. With the lightness of a true master's hand he combines classic academic and abstract elements, fusing these, literally letting them run into each other with dripping rivulets of riveting colors and light. Kote's trade marks are his bold brush work and sweeping strokes of vibrant colors applied - more often than not - with a pallet knife, while other areas of the canvas are left monochromatic and devoid of detail creating a negative space that lets the eye drift to infinity. The results are paintings that tremble in stillness with energy and light. Influenced by many places where he lived, Albanian born Kote began his journey towards artistic self-discovery in his youth and never looked back. Ultimately, after competing locally and nationally, he was awarded a coveted spot at ''National Lyceum of Arts'' in Tirana. In 1984 Kote followed this amazing feat by being accepted into the ''Academy of Fine Arts'' of Tirana, where Kote was educated in the traditional approach of the old masters. In 1988 Kote graduated with a diploma in painting and scenography. Kote began his professional career as a scenographer at the Petro Marko Theatre in Vlore, but in late 90-s the 26 year old artist grew restless and decided to debark to Greece, where the warmth of the Mediterranean sun and brilliant light infused his paintings in tone and style and lent them a more impressionistic air. Highly respected, the young artist did well and received many important commissions, including in 1998 The Meeting of the Leaders for the Hellenic Cultural Union in Thessaloniki which depicted the Assembly of the Founders of Modern Greece, and a portrait in 2000 of the former president of Greece, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, for the Greek community in Toronto. After a very successful 10 years in Greece, Kote was weary to rest on his laurels, and he moved to Toronto. Already renowned for his beautiful portraits and scenic paintings, Kote now garnered additional kudos for his gorgeous urban scapes, and snow scenes. His color and style moved away from the impressionistic influence toward a more expressionistic feel. The paintings from this period, many of them masterpieces, are a clear indication of the continual development of Kote's style and his fluidity and growth as an artist. Achieving this goal, however, only made him strive for higher ones. Like a rolling stone Kote moved to New York, The Big Apple, in 2009. Listings wanted by Art Brokerage.