Kristina Koljaka

Kristina Koljaka (4 June 1916 - 31 October 2005) was an Albanian sculptor and one of the first women to achieve success in sculpture in Albania. She studied at the Arts Lyceum, Tiranë (1930–34), and at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome (1938–41), and made her début with My Friend (marble, 1941; Rome, priv. col.). Her success was affirmed with the monumental statue of Lenin (bronze, h. 4 m, 1954; Tiranë). She made sculptures on various themes, for example Seedlings (Afforestation) (coloured plaster, 1951), as well as portraits, for example the life-size Dr Shiroka (marble, 1956; both Tiranë, A.G.). The gentle plasticity and clear outlines in her work convey a human warmth and awareness of space. The hands and other details of a portrait are often underpinned by a characteristic acumen. Koljaka is considered among the finest Albanian sculptors and teachers of sculpture. She died on October 21, 2005 at the age of 89.^[1][2]

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