Josef Kote was born in 1964, in the scenic port town of Vlore, Albania. Kote immersed himself in the arts early on, the atmosphere around him constantly inspired the young visionary living in the metropolis of Vlore of commercial industry and old world charm. This was the perfect backdrop for an aspiring artist talent like Kote, the city's handsome, bright buildings and coastline provided Kote with an abundance of creative material.
Josef Kote began his journey towards artistic self-discovery in his youth and never looked back. From very young age, he was endlessly drawing and had the innate urge to create. By the age of 13, he had made up his mind to become an artist and devote his life to the arts. He focused on getting accepted into the finest art high school of his native Albania. Ultimately, after competing locally and nationally, he was awarded a coveted spot at “National Lyceum of Arts” in Tirana.
In 1984, Kote followed this amazing feat by being accepted into the “Academy of Fine Arts” of Tirana, where J.K was educated in the traditional approach of the old masters. Even as a student he wanted to break loose of the limitations, he wanted to experiment and grow, sometimes leave paintings seemingly unfinished, shatter the boundaries of classic realism. While still in school Kote also worked at a movie studio and made a small but well-received animation film Lisi. In 1988, Kote graduated with a diploma in painting and scenography. The years of practice and his 8-year solid art education had prepared the young artist well to pursue his life’s quest of living and breathing art. It had set him on his lifelong journey to find his own unique style and language, to create stupendous paintings pulsating with the light and energy that he sees all around him.
Kote began his professional career as a scenographer at the Petro Marko Theatre in Vlore, but in late 1990-s, the 26-year-old artist grew restless and decided to debark to Greece, working as a freelance visual artist. In Greece, the warmth of the Mediterranean sun and brilliant light infused his paintings in tone and style and lent them a more impressionistic air. In this new environment, Kote's style evolved and flourished. Highly respected, the young artist did well and received many important commissions, including in 1998 painting ”The Meeting of the Leaders” for the Hellenic Cultural Union in Thessaloniki, which depicted the Assembly of the Founders of Modern Greece, and a portrait in 2000 of the former president of Greece, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, for the Greek community in Toronto. During the decade he resided in Greece, numerous prestigious artists, as well as public and private collectors acknowledged Kote. The more renowned he became, the freer Kote was to explore the far reaches of his vast creative mind. With every piece, Kote developed a stronger sense of color and more brilliant brushwork. His deft hand was evident in everything he touched.
After a very successful ten years in Greece, Kote was weary to rest on his laurels, and he moved to Toronto. Through his artistry, Kote was able to assimilate quickly and learn the culture and language of a place completely foreign to him. Already renowned for his beautiful portraits and scenic paintings, Kote now garnered additional kudos for his gorgeous urbanscapes and snow scenes. His color and style moved away from the impressionistic influence toward a more expressionistic feel. The paintings from this period, many of them masterpieces, are a clear indication of the continual development of Kote’s style and his fluidity and growth as an artist. Thanks to a host of avid collectors worldwide Kote saw his dream and years of labor come to fruition. Achieving this goal, however, only made him strive for higher ones. As he continued to evolve artistically, Kote discovered another side of himself. He began painting with a more feminine, gentle touch, and a softer color palette. What began as an escape from the drudgery of everyday life had turned into Kote's life force.
Had it not been for the exceptional feedback from art enthusiasts the world over, Kote might have never been able to dedicate his life to his craft. But because of this positive reception, Kote's passion transformed into a quest for universal success. In 2009, he began his most recent artistic and spiritual journey, and for the third time, completely uprooted himself. He landed in The Big Apple, one of the greatest hubs for cultural and artist expression there is. Today, Kote still resides and paints in New York City. But who knows what beautiful permutations the future holds for this talented and unique painter who mixes abstraction to real life. In New York, his paintings and style morphed again. The colors grew bolder, and his style became so unique that it cannot be ascribed to an existing genre. This highly prolific painter, who works on his craft almost daily and long hours, is never satisfied, always seeking, always experimenting, and always growing. Only the future will reveal the great heights his art will ascend.
Josef Kote is a well-known contemporary artist with his own unique style. His paintings are symphonies of light and color. With the lightness of a true master’s hand he combines classic academic and abstract elements, fusing them into each other with dripping rivulets. Kote’s trademarks are his bold brush work and sweeping strokes of vibrant colors applied with a pallet knife. All Kote’s masterworks capture shimmering moments in time and space and are filled with light, energy, and love for whatever subject he chooses to portray.
Waiting for the Sunshine
This Time Around
For The Love of Autumn
Broome Street Soho
louds Passing Over
Life in the City
The Promise
In Thought
Don't Wake Me Up
Touched by Love
Illumination
Follow your bliss
Divine
City of shifting light
I call it magic. Time Square NYC
Glory of expression. Brooklyn Bridge
And there was light
Quotations:
''Light, both in life and in art, has been an intriguing concept for me. I pour myself onto each painting I create and every time the motivation is finding the light.''
”Art to me is so special. It’s a passion and purpose; it is the essence of my being.”
"I grew up drawing; it was my favorite thing to do. At the age of 13, I began serious training and preparations to enter a high school visual art competition. It was at the age of 14 when I began my studies and left my home: since then I knew I was on my own, ready to embrace change, and take on bigger challenges. My obsession with art grew into my adolescence and matured through adulthood."
"There’s so much in this world that captivates me: nature, places, people and music. I especially like to capture the beauty of something that could be very easily overlooked, something that I fear no one will see, unless I can show it to them in my paintings. For the past few years I have been engaged in painting landscapes and seascapes from the shores of Long Island where my studio is, to the trees and hills of Connecticut and Upstate New York. NYC has been a huge influence and inspiration to my work, both in its community and as an environment."
"As an artist my goal is to have my own vision and create art on my own terms, by choosing to create whatever my inspiration leads me to. My greatest joy however remains in being able to connect with my audience through these visions and let them think and imagine as freely as they wish and have their own interpretation. I only hope that in my work people are able to catch a glimpse of what I was feeling or thinking while creating it."
Quotes from others about the person
As writer Diana Pinck describes on Josef's biography: "With the lightness of a true master’s hand, he combines classic academic and abstract elements, fusing these, literally letting them run into each other with dripping rivulets of riveting colours and light: by using his signature drip effect along the bottom. Kote’s trademarks are his bold brushwork, and sweeping strokes of vibrant colours applied - more often than not - with a pallet knife while other areas of the canvas are left monochromatic and devoid of detail creating a negative space that lets the eye drift to infinity. The results are paintings that tremble in stillness with energy and light."
Pinck adds: "Here his paintings and style morphed again. The colours grew bolder, and his style became so unique that it cannot be ascribed to an existing genre. This highly prolific painter, who works on his craft almost daily and long hours, is never satisfied, always seeking, always experimenting, and always growing. Only the future will reveal the great heights his art will ascend. Certainly one thing holds true for all of Kote’s masterworks: they capture shimmering moments in time and space and are filled with light, energy and love for whatever subject he chooses to portray."
