Josef Kote

Josef Kote was born in Albania in 1964. 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. 

Influenced by the many places he has lived, Kote began his journey towards artistic self-discovery at the Academy of Fine Arts of Tirana, Albania where he was educated in the traditional approach of the old masters. While still in school Kote also worked at a movie studio, and made a small but well-received animation film titled Lisi. In 1988, Kote graduated with a diploma in painting and scenography. Afterwards he began his professional career as a scenographer at the Petro Marko Theatre in Vlore. Yet in late 1990s the twenty-six year old artist grew restless and decided to debark to Greece, where the warmth of the Mediterranean sun and brilliant light infused his paintings in tone and style and lent them a more impressionistic air. 

While living in Greece, Kote received many important commissions, including a painting of 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 of the former president of Greece, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, for the Greek community in Toronto. After a very successful ten years in Greece, Kote relocated to Toronto. It was at this time that Kote began painting gorgeous urban and snow scenes. In 2009, he moved to New York where his paintings and style morphed again - the colors grew bolder and his style became more unique. 

Today, Kote continues to work in his New York studio. His work has received lots of attention from the art world and has been placed in many private collections.