Lithograph of “Istanbul” by Ibrahim Kodra, 1970s

Lithograph depicting the city of Istanbul, created by Ibrahim Kodra in the 1970s

Ø cm 74 h cm 54 including frame

Ibrahim Kodra (Ishëm, Albania, 1918 – Milan, 2006) was an Albanian artist who became an Italian citizen, considered one of the most significant figures in modern Balkan art and a leading exponent of postwar abstract and Cubist art in Milan. Born in Albania, Kodra arrived in Italy in 1938 on a scholarship to study in Milan, where he attended the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Milan became his adopted city and the center of his artistic activity. In Milan, Kodra quickly became part of the cultural and intellectual circles. He was a personal friend and collaborator of prominent figures such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, and was also highly esteemed by the poet Paul Éluard and the writer Ernest Hemingway.

Kodra’s style forms a bridge between the avant-garde movements of the 20th century and a sensibility that remained connected to his cultural roots. Kodra developed an abstract and geometric visual language influenced by Cubism (particularly Picasso and Braque), but with his own personal interpretation. His works from this period are characterized by the fragmentation of human figures and objects into geometric planes and segments of vivid color. He used a restrained yet intense palette, often dominated by earthy tones, ochres, reds, and blacks, recalling the colors of the Mediterranean. Ibrahim Kodra is known for his extensive output, which includes paintings on canvas, drawings, and frescoes. His geometric portraits and abstract still lifes are among his most sought-after subjects. He took part in several Venice Biennales and exhibited in galleries around the world. Kodra was an artist who successfully fused the European artistic heritage with the cultural richness of his origins, creating a unique body of work that contributed to the international dialogue on postwar abstract art.