Kristale Ivezaj Rama

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Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Kristale now calls London, UK home.  

KRISTALE'S BIO:

Kristale is the Founder/ Director of the Balkan Artists’ Guild (BAG), a nomadic contemporary art platform with an office at the premises of the award-winning architecture practice 4M Group in Soho, London.
 
As a graduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, her ambition was to join the American Foreign Service, but in the end, it was Kristale’s passion for art, and the love for her own Balkan ancestry that launched the Balkan Artists’ Guild (BAG).
 
The spirit of her work came as a result of the desire for providing a space for dialogue, raising awareness of an exciting art scene and bridging the gaps between the complex and often misunderstood Southeastern region to London and globally. Presenting a full spectrum of emerging and established contemporary art from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as presenting artists from neighbouring Greece and Turkey, Kristale works in collaboration with artists, curators and international art organisations to enable people to have thought-provoking, transformative experiences.
 
Established in 2013, BAG is the first resource which promotes and supports artists from the wider Balkan region, staging three to four significant art events each year, tailoring each exhibition venue to the specific works on display. Commissioning Clients include the Kosovan Embassy and the exclusive Zebrano City.
 
She has plans to establish a gallery in the luxury marina village, Lushtica Bay, Montenegro in the near future, showcasing the best art of the region and offering workshops, lectures and social evenings.
 
Kristale is a doting mother of an outgoing, globetrotting three-year-old daughter, and awaits the arrival of a son end of summer 2017 with her partner of seven years Perparim. ​

Q + A with Kristale 

WHERE ARE YOU FROM IN THE USA?
Detroit, Michigan 

WHERE  ARE YOU CURRENTLY BASED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?
Notting Hill, London
 
WHAT BROUGHT YOU OVERSEAS?
Graduate Degree (MA) at the School of Oriental and African Studies in Diplomacy with a concentration in Economics and Security (2010), also Love.
 
DID YOU STUDY ABROAD IN THE PAST (OR PRESENT)?
IF SO WHAT PROGRAM AND WHERE?
Yes: News Reporting in the British Isles programme through Michigan State University (2004); summer study abroad  in Abruzzo Italy through Wayne State University (2007); MA in Diplomacy with a concentration in Economics and Security from the School of African and Oriental Studies (2010). 
 
ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR FUTURE YOUNG AMERICANS?
Give yourself time to settle in. As my father explained to me, integration is a process that takes at least a year. It takes a few months to observe a culture, meet people and understand your surroundings. You'll be excited, you’ll be homesick, you'll be lonely. Sometimes, you’ll feel confused as to whether you've made the right decision. Moving and starting over is more difficult as an adult, so, be patient with yourself. Be honest about what your goals are, stick to them and keep going. Before you know it, you'll take stock of how far you've come, in all aspects, and you will feel a major sense of accomplishment, feeling more enriched, wiser and more fulfilled as an individual.

FOLLOW KRISTALE'S BALKAN ARTISTS GUILD
 
www.balkanartistsguild.co.uk

twitter: @balkanartists
instagram:@balkanartists
facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/balkanartistslondon/

Video: https://vimeo.com/139294359

*Photos of Kristale and her family on this page were provided courtesy of LA-based contemporary photographer Prishtina Gjonaj*
 

Visit Balkan Artists Guild's website