Crimson and violet cliffs stretched under saturated sunsets. Gnarled sagebrush and cacti sprawled along high desert plains.
And deep crevices burrowed in the sandstone formations — the iconic natural environment of New Mexico — set the stage for Albanian Artist Saranda Kalaveshi’s raw acrylic painting of her past and present self, which she called “Healing.”
This piece that was once crafted during quarantine while living in New Mexico is the same composition that now hangs in her new art gallery she co-owns with her mother and sister in Avon, Connecticut.
“A lot of what I was going through during my time in New Mexico and quarantine is what inspired me to put these images on the canvases,” said self-taught artist Kalaveshi, co-owner of Kalaveshi Arts. “In this first exhibition, many people will not only see the visuals of the Southwest but also see what we went through and who we are.”
Originally from Kosovo, a small country in southeast Europe, Kalaveshi moved to the United States in 2010 and settled in New Mexico, and was then joined by her mother Drita Choy a couple of years later and her sister, Njomza, a decade later. Eventually, all of the women found themselves moving to Connecticut and opening up Kalaveshi Arts earlier this month, which is a space for them to work on their art, be together as a family and reveal their personal journeys as artists to the public.
“For me, my work was originally something that had no intention of being seen by others or being sold,” she said. “Many of these pieces, especially my more personal work, came out of necessity. I just had to do it now. I had to do it at that moment.”
Kalaveshi Arts is a space that offers Kalaveshi’s small and large paintings such as “Earthling” and “Stayin’ Alive,” her sister’s compositions of portraits which mainly focus on various cultures, such as Ancient Egypt, using mixed media such as acrylics, beads, glitter, threads and golden leaves to capture the clothing rather than human faces.
“I’m fascinated by the garments that people wear, clothing that is representative of their time and culture,” said Njomza Kalaveshi, painter and co-owner of Kalaveshi Arts.
With a long history of living through political turmoil in the mid-to-late 90s and starting her own businesses, such as a shoe store and a restaurant in order to support her daughters, Drita Choy rediscovered her love for art after having moved to the United States as “life had not given me an opportunity to explore it.” Now, her large ceramic works and abstract paintings are displayed inside of Kalaveshi Arts.
So, when the Kalaveshi trio found the white storefront on Simsbury Road, they knew that this would be their gallery where they could bring their dreams to life.
“In the galleries and museums that I have visited in Connecticut, I have seen a lot of beautiful artwork that is classical and captures many landscapes and animals,” Saranda Kalaveshi said. “How you feel is how you paint, and so much of my collection exhibits nudity in what some would call risqué, but there is a story within these pieces that might just catch your eye.”
In Saranda Kalaveshi’s “Healing,” composed of two self-portraits in the middle of the desert, her future-self uses the thin needle from the cactus and her own hair to stitch the heart of her past-self. “We are the only ones truly capable of repairing and improving ourselves,” she said.
With the desire to bring a new perspective to Connecticut, the trio are now looking forward to seeing new faces stop by and learn something new.
“Each of our works is not commonly found here and offers something different that everyone can learn from,” Kalaveshi said. “There is something for everyone, give us a try.”
Maddi Langwell is a freelance writer who lives in Connecticut.
