OUR STORY

When renowned artist and teacher Laert Aleksi Xhaferi decided to surprise his wife with a Valentine’s Day date to paint, he had no idea it would inspire an incredible year long challenge.

Trained in the classical style, their typical oil pieces can take months to finish. After completing a quick painting together the possibilities began to dawn on them. They agreed to take on a challenge to create - one quick painting each week for an entire year. Same canvas, same time, under 2 hours.

"On Valentine's Day, Laert told me not to make any plans. We started with the usual suspects, nice restaurant, good conversation, a beautiful walk through downtown holding hands and then he took me to the gallery. I didn't know if he needed to pick something up from work or if he had hidden something there.... (Chocolate?....something sparkly??). Taking me inside, he told me we were going to paint. That may not seem strange since you know, we are 2 artists ... but I hadn't really painted in the last two years since our baby girl came into the picture. He said not only are we going to paint but that we'd finish a painting in less than two hours so even as a full time mom, I would never have an excuse to not paint again. I was skeptical since our paintings usually are several month long projects. But I was also open because I wanted to try the rapid, loose pieces that I know many Masters have done. As we were painting we got more and more excited. I felt like I was emerging from a daze and becoming more alive again.

When we finished after an hour, it felt like no time had passed. Both of us were so excited Laert exclaimed, we are going to do one painting a week for the next year and none of them will be over two hours long! Hesitantly, I agreed, not so much because I didn't want to but the sheer magnitude of the task and commitment to it was a bit intimidating. But oh, how I craved it. And to be able to do this with my husband - to connect with him and share something with him that I never have been able to share with anyone - ever. So yes, let's do this.

Being husband and wife, we decided the only appropriate name was what all parents do when baby finally hits the hay. 52 Weeks, 52 Quickies. Once a week after our little went to sleep, Laert and I painted together limiting ourselves to 2 hours maximum to complete a painting.

LAERT ALEKSI XHAFERI

Laert Aleksi was born in Vlore, Albania, in 1984. He moved with his family to Athens, Greece in 1992, where he began taking art lessons from his father Sabaudin Xhaferi, at the age of eight. Inspired by his father - turned - teacher, he begun a long journey of discovering the beauty and excellence of art. He moved in the USA in 1999; continued studying under his father on a daily basis while continuing his high school education. With his father and a lot of paintings to show they opened Studio Sabka in 2006.

The art lessons helped him learn everything he needed to push him to what now has become a daily lifestyle for him at Studio Sabka, following his father’s footsteps teaching professional art. His goal was simple: pass on his knowledge to open and inspired artists. “Art has given me an opportunity to learn a lot about myself, enriched my soul, and most importantly - it has given me something more, a family that now I call Studio Sabka”.

Now married to his wonderful wife Kinsey, he has one more beautiful reason to create beauty. “ I will never forget the most important advice my dad ever gave me, he said “You have to love art and be patient, with all of the process, that’s what will allow you to understand the depth and wonders of art”. 

KINSEY ALEKSI Xhaferi

American artist Kinsey Aleksi is redefining women in art as she weaves undeniably potent storytelling into each stroke. With its emphasis on bold design, contrast, figurative drawing and imaginative narration, her work resonates with Art Nouveau, Renaissance, Impressionist and Pop Art styles. Born in Fredericksburg, Texas in 1982, Aleksi grew up in a time marked by women reexamining their roles, ideology and purpose. Now in Fort Worth, she is setting the tone for women to reach within, to access personal promise and celebrate the divine inside. Kinsey Aleksi studied under international artist Laert Xhaferi for eight years before closing her advertising agency to pursue art and teach workshops. Her mediums include oil painting and ink. Botanicals, fabric and figures are common elements along with themes of promise, creation, wonder and healing.

“Art has been church for me at times. A place to find and explore truth. A place to experience self, the deep and true parts. These works, just published in the book HER RITES, were created to unfold in meaning, to be “read” as they explore rites of passage for women in their most fundamental and existential ways. Always being drawn to classical art, bold paintings and themes meant to outlive, my challenge was to bring it into a relevant place. My choice to mix traditional methods and modern conceptualization creates a dialect of my own, producing something living, beautiful in nature and in the truth it offers.”