July 10, 2025 | Thursday

In a visual dialogue: Altin Ibrahimi & Nonetaori

A joint exhibition of the artists Altin Ibrahimi and Nonetaori opened at Europe House Pristina on June 17, 2025. Titled In Tandem, the exhibition brings together two artists, whose worlds are different, but they breathe close to each other. Rather than putting them in juxtaposition, in the interview below, we try to understand how their worlds collide or communicate with each other as well as what this collaboration means for their future artistic endeavors.

Read the interview with the artists below.

Europe House Kosovo: What was your first reaction when you were invited to be part of In Tandem?

Altin Ibrahimi: My first time exhibiting my art was at Europe House, in a group exhibition with the class of Prof. Zake Prelvukaj. Being back in that space really brought back good memories, so I didn’t hesitate at all to be part of this exhibition. Even though mine and Nonetaori’s styles might seem different, if you stop and look really closely, they are connected through the feeling that they inspire. Whether it’s something absurd, something internal, a sensation that can only be expressed through an illustration. It was really nice to talk with Nderim about both his work and mine, and to find that connection between them.

Nonetaori: I was excited because it was the first time I was participating in an exhibition at Europe House. The contrast between our works lies mainly in their symbolic. My works speak with a more latent language and are half-realistic. Whereas Altin’s works are more realistic, more noisy somehow, more impressive. 

Europe House Kosovo: Was there a curatorial concept or theme that influenced what you chose to exhibit?

Altin Ibrahimi: In a way, the curatorial concept aligned well with what I already explored in my work. In my artistic practice, I often explore the human figure in stillness, captured in quiet or introspective moments. These figures don’t act as characters but as emotional states: fragile, temporary, sometimes blurred like memories. There’s always something unspoken, something that lingers beneath the surface and I think that connects directly to the idea of In Tandem. My figures often seem alone, but they exist in relation with the space around them, with the viewer, and sometimes with another figure or presence that’s not fully visible.

Just as  two artworks in this exhibition might initially seem unrelated, but then start to resonate the more you observe them, that’s where the sense of tandem appears. It’s not about being the same, but about sharing a certain emotional rhythm. Sometimes that connection is in the atmosphere, the silence, or even in the texture of the gesture like a flatlay scene where objects don’t touch, but  create meaning together.

Nonetaori: We were free to exhibit a variety of concepts, a mixture of works. However, they were put in such a way that they represented a concept. 

Europe House Kosovo: Did the process of exhibiting side-by-side lead you to see your own work differently?

Altin Ibrahimi: Yes, in a way it did. Seeing my work side-by-side with another artist’s gave me a new perspective on the emotions and themes I explore. It highlighted connections and contrasts I hadn’t fully noticed before, how different styles can still share a similar energy or feeling. It made me more aware of the silent dialogue my work can have not just with the viewer, but with other artworks as well. Overall, it was a valuable experience that helped me reflect more deeply on what my art communicates.

Nonetaori: Yes, and it was a very good and refreshing feeling. It shows how the minds of artists are different from each other, always looking at new opportunities, different perspectives, unique ones.

Europe House Kosovo: How do you think audiences experience the “meeting point” between your two visual worlds?

Altin Ibrahimi: I believe they experience it as a space of quiet tension and connection. Even though our styles and subjects may differ, the emotional undercurrent that links the works is that shared feeling of introspection, subtle mystery, or vulnerability which  creates a kind of dialogue that invites viewers to pause and reflect, to sense what is unspoken but deeply felt. The contrast between our approaches makes the connection even more intriguing, encouraging the audience to explore how different expressions can resonate together.

Nonetaori: From a personal point of view, I could see that there were many people who were deeply interested in our works and art, even shocked at some points. I was there to explain some of the works, and I think this helped the audience understand.

Europe House Kosovo: What does the word “tandem” mean to you, personally or artistically, after this collaboration?

Altin Ibrahimi: It feels like a symbol of balance and connection between two different energies moving together with purpose and respect. Artistically, it represents how distinct voices can coexist in harmony, each bringing their own style and emotion but finding common ground through shared feeling. It reminds me that art isn’t just about individual expression, but about relationships between artists, works, and viewers that create something richer when they come together. This collaboration showed me the power of dialogue, even when it happens quietly, and how that can open new ways of seeing my own work.

Nonetaori: To me it speaks about the collaboration between intellectual minds and how these collaborations make the culture and art move forward. This is what makes the culture move in a country. 

Europe House Kosovo: Have you taken anything from this collaboration that might influence your future practice? 

Altin Ibrahimi: Yes, I really liked the works that explored paganism. It’s a theme connected to our ancestors since we often identify as Illyrians. Even before this collaboration, I’ve been thinking about working with old stories passed down orally, from generation to generation, from ancient times. Our origins as Albanians have always made me curious and eager to explore what I could create around this theme. This collaboration has inspired me to dive deeper into those stories and see where they might take my art in the future.

Nonetaori: My art is not very easily influenced, but from a social point of view I am very inspired to collaborate with artists like Altin in the future. 

“Balancing motion and stillness” 

The artistic practice of Altin Ibrahimi 

Europe House Kosovo: Your figures often appear in motion or in transition—what draws you to capture these fleeting moments?

Altin Ibrahimi: What draws me is the psychological complexity underneath the feelings and tensions that we don’t always see. I want to explore those uncertain, fragile states inside us. In my work, the human figure often looks like it’s moving or changing, but what really matters to me is that in-between emotional space. These moments feel alive and full of feeling – not fixed, but in motion – showing the depth of human experience. In that place where movement meets stillness, a silent story appears, inviting the viewer to connect more deeply.

Europe House Kosovo: Do you work from life, memory, or imagination when creating your portraits and body studies?

Altin Ibrahimi: I usually start with references, but only up to a point where I don’t need them anymore. I also work a lot from memory, imagination, and sometimes even dreams. When I do portraits and body studies, I like to mix in elements from fashion to make the characters feel more unique and personal. Sometimes I use photos from friends or models as references, but mostly I let my own ideas and memories guide the process.

Europe House Kosovo: There’s a sense of suspended energy in your works—how do you achieve that feeling visually?

Altin Ibrahimi: That feeling comes from focusing on moments that aren’t fully still yet not completely moving either, like a pause in time. I try to capture gestures and expressions that feel in-between, subtle shifts that suggest something just about to happen or fade away. Using soft edges, layered textures, and careful lighting helps create that quiet tension. It’s about balancing motion and stillness to hold a space where emotion lingers without being loud.

Europe House Kosovo: What role does emotion or psychology play in your depiction of the human form?

Altin Ibrahimi: Emotion and psychology are at the core of how I depict the human form. I’m not just interested in physical appearance, but in capturing the inner world, the feelings, tensions, and silent stories that the body can express. The human figure becomes a vessel for emotions that aren’t always spoken but deeply felt, and through subtle gestures and expressions, I try to reveal that inner life. It’s about showing the complexity beneath the surface, the quiet moments that connect us to ourselves and others.

Europe House Kosovo: Has your technique or approach to drawing and painting changed over time, and if so, how?

Altin Ibrahimi: My technique has changed a lot over time because I feel like I’ve improved in color theory and how I render figures and portraits. Since I started drawing, I’ve always loved drawing people and that’s something that hasn’t changed much. But alongside that, I have this other side where I work with watercolors. I’ve been doing watercolors for years, and it feels like a special phase in my practice. When I paint with watercolors, it’s a way to let my mind relax and work more freely in an abstract way. I don’t overthink, I just let the colors and forms flow, creating something that feels spontaneous but still complete. With watercolors, I try to explore more abstract ideas, focusing on mood and layers rather than strict realism, like the concept of blending reality with imagination.

Lately, I’ve also been working a lot with digital painting, especially in animation, illustration, and concept art. This has helped me push my art to a new level by combining my traditional skills with new techniques and ways of storytelling.

Europe House Kosovo: Do you see your illustrations as separate from your paintings, or are they part of the same visual language?

Altin Ibrahimi: I see my illustrations and paintings as part of the same visual language, but they serve different purposes in my practice. Painting allows me to explore mood, emotion, and more abstract ideas, often with a slower, more intuitive process. Illustrations, on the other hand, tend to be more direct and narrative-driven, where I focus on storytelling and clear communication. Even though they feel different, both come from the same place: my interest in human expression and the subtle emotions beneath the surface.

Europe House Kosovo: What inspires the gestures, postures, or facial expressions of your subjects?

Altin Ibrahimi: They are often inspired by quiet emotions, moments of stillness and reflection. Sometimes they come from people I’ve observed, memories, or even how I feel in a particular moment. I’m not trying to show something dramatic, but something subtle that carries weight like a lingering glance or a hesitant hand. I want the figures to feel real, but also distant, like something you might have seen in a dream or remembered without knowing exactly when. For example, the way I draw

hair, a limb, or a part of the face like the nose or eyes is often influenced by daily observations: people I see on walks, their style, the presence they carry. These small details often give me the feeling I’m looking for and become part of the figure. Not always, but most of the time, the figure is built from fragments of memory stored, felt, or noticed in passing.

Between made-up worlds and visual storytelling

The artistic practice of Nonetaori 

Europe House Kosovo: Your works seem to exist between memory and imagination—how do you build these narrative scenes?

Nonetaori: It is thanks to the surrealist and half-realist forms that I build the scenery or the world on the basis of physics, in order to make it more convincing for the viewer. In order for feelings to get a shape or form, a dialogue between aesthetics and reality is needed, this is the path to entering the genre of magic realism.

Europe House Kosovo: What inspires the fantastical or surreal imagery in your visual storytelling?

Nonetaori: My visual storytelling is inspired by my desire to speak a coded language of symbols and my desire to give life to invented worlds and creatures, my desire to surprise myself and others and to convey a message without saying it, leaving a space for research… I am dedicated to giving my works depth, philosophy and identity.

Europe House Kosovo: How do you decide whether an idea becomes an illustration, a drawing, or a short animation?

Nonetaori: When you weigh in a lot of options, the passion is euphoric, the feeling is chilling, the meaning and message are deep. I am driven by a fiery desire for experimentation.

Europe House Kosovo: Are there particular myths, childhood memories, or books that influence your world-building?

Nonetaori:. My world-building is influenced by Albanian mythology (Albanian paganism), science fiction from European and American graphic novels, gothic and philosophical books as well as memories from my childhood, my fears, dreams, trauma, rebellion, nostalgia, etc.

Europe House Kosovo: How do you use color, composition, or texture to evoke a sense of dream or nostalgia?

Nonetaori: It depends on the mood of a piece; this determines whether something appears more magical—the colors will be brighter, more hopeful, more captivating. If we have a more serious world, the two-tone method is used, with pale or even dramatic colors. Composition is the most important part in creating an illustration—deciding whether the character or the object is placed in the background, in the center, in the shadows, or in the light—it tells the entire story of the scene. Dreams play a very big role in the creative process. Many works are literally the creation of dream imagery. Some dreams are more symbolic, while others even turn into narratives or science fiction stories.

Europe House Kosovo: Do you see yourself more as a narrator or a visual artist—or is there no separation for you?

Nonetaori: Both. I speak a lot, and I speak through works, through images. Without a storyteller, images are dead, and without images, the storyteller cannot be heard.

Europe House Kosovo: How do you want people to feel when they encounter your imagined worlds?

Nonetaori: To make them feel something powerful, something that strikes them artistically—whether it’s nostalgia, melancholy, or other feelings like hope, a desire for change, new inspirations, love for art, love for culture, love for science, knowledge, education, imagination, and freedom.

Europe House Kosovo: Last but not least, why the name Nonetaori? 

Nonetaori: Nonetaori is a name I invented when I was a child. It sounded Italian, Japanese, and Albanian at the same time. I used it as a secret name wherever I wrote or sketched. Strangely enough, if you translate it into Latin as “nonet aori”, it means “he does not hear”, which makes a lot of sense for a personality like mine.