Iva Lulashi

Iva Lulashi, born in 1988 in Tirana, Albania, currently lives and works in Milan. She graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice in 2016. Her artistic practice is rooted in found traces, drawing inspiration from auteur films, documentaries, advertisements, television broadcasts, private photographs, and stills that reflect a visual language tied to an Albanian narrative that Lulashi herself has not consciously experienced. This narrative intertwines with erotic film footage, blurring the lines between communist propaganda, sexual scenes, and everyday outdoor activities.

In her small-format canvases, Lulashi merges seemingly distant worlds, creating a connection that renders them indistinguishable. Her themes—communist regime in Albania, eroticism, and religion—are unified through a distinctive color palette, producing images that are both ambiguous and ethereal. Works such as Gli amanti, È invisibile ma non si sente l'odore, Untitled, and Li ho persi tutti exemplify her artistic intent and were part of Ex Gratia, the 5th project of IN PRATICA in 2018.

Lulashi's ability to weave together complex themes and visual narratives challenges viewers to reconsider their perceptions of history, identity, and the multifaceted experiences of life, particularly within the context of Albanian culture. Through her work, she invites a dialogue about the intersections of personal and collective memory, suggesting that the past continues to shape the present in profound and often unexpected ways.