Artur Muharremi

Short Biography


Artur Muharremi was born in Pogradec, Albania, the 2nd of June 1958. He graduated the Academy of Fine Arts of Tirana while being under the supervision of distinguished artists such as Prof. Agim Zajmi, Prof. Guri Madhi, Prof. Zef Shoshi etc.

After graduation, he was hired as...

Short Biography


Artur Muharremi was born in Pogradec, Albania, the 2nd of June 1958. He graduated the Academy of Fine Arts of Tirana while being under the supervision of distinguished artists such as Prof. Agim Zajmi, Prof. Guri Madhi, Prof. Zef Shoshi etc.

After graduation, he was hired as a painter and producer of a catalog of Animated Films in the Film Studio "New Albania" and worked here up until the early nineties. He made a name for himself as the author of a great number of cartoons while also co-producing with other big animation names such as Vlash Droboniku, Bujar Kapexhiu etc.

The then young artist was rapidly shaping his own individuality through the animated movies that introduced a newfound spirit and genre in the art. Cartoons of the time were mostly centered around the younger demographic without ever daring to go beyond yet Artur Muharremi turned the whole concept upside down by introducing darker and more philosophical themes in the medium.

At the time, this was extremely courageous as the artist was using the film to attack directly the regime's ideology. Few people got away with doing so openly.

The Animated FIlm that made him break through the norm was Equinox, written by Kujtim Çashku, and soon after it's release, this film along with many others were honored throughout various festivals and just as many prizes.

The social changes that were taking place through the early nineties paired with Artur Muharremi's increasingly daring works made him one of the most outstanding personalities of Albanian animation and one of the most promising painters of the new generation.

His next big break happened in 1989 when he wins the first prize in the National Competition of Fine Arts with his painting "Before Creation" which solidified him as a true painter. 
After this, Artur Muharremi dedicated himself to the brush. 

Two years later, he succeeds in inaugurating his first individual exhibition in the National Gallery of Arts which was both awaited and received with great interest by both critics and the public.

Yet soon, the increasingly unstable social and political situation in Albania forced him to move away from his home country and eventually settled in Athens, Greece.

There, Artur was hired as a moviemaker for the private company of animated films "Cartoon Studio" where he meets Mr. Nikos Vergjitsi, producer and film director, as well as the famous greek actor Spiros Fokas. 

Yet not long after, Painting steals the artist away from the world of Cinema and Artur finds himself once again devoted to the art. 

He opens his own atelier/studio in Athens ( Mi-ART-Re-STUDIO-La ). Throughout these times, he meets various important personalities such as the Greek Painter Pavlo Samios, the great collector of the museum "Ion Vorre" Ion Vorre and the great gallery owner Stavros Mihalarias.

He starts making a name for himself in Greece and eventually participates in the Greek Nautical Exhibition of Patras, the Balkan Exhibition in 2000.

In 2003, he turns back to Albania and opens his third individual exhibition in the National Gallery of Arts, when he decides to stay and work in his homeland.

Soon after, he's appointed Manager of Scenical Production in the Theater of Opera and Ballet where he works for one year and works on the scenography of the operetta "L'Elisir d'Amore". 
Many of his paintings of the time depict this very experience.

In the same time, the flame of his Animation Film passion is ignited once again and he decides to make yet another hand drawn short animation called "The Bridge" with which he participates throughout various international festivals such as Zagreb (Croatia), Annecy (France) , Drama (Greece) and Bari (Italy) where he received the special prize of the festival.

He soon became acquainted with Mr. Edouard Mezuraj, the initiator and president of the first private museum of Albania and thus Artur Muharremi was once again back into the world of Paintings.

Mr. Mezuraj then proposes Artur a contract of exclusivity for all his future works and Artur agreed to work for the Museum from 2005 to 2008.

2009 was a busy year for the artist as he decided to move to Paris France and soon he participates the international exhibition “Place aux Artistes”, he opens his own personal exhibition at “Arcima Galerie d’Art” and two other personal exhibitions at “Artouch Gallery”.

Throughout the years, Artur Muharremi opened many different exhibitions all around Paris until he finally reopened his own atelier in 2015 at Honfleur, France where he currently resides.