Janaq Paço

Janaq Paço (1914, Konitsa, Kingdom of Greece - 1991, Tirana, Albania) was one of the most known Albanian sculptors of the 20th century. Some of his prominent works include the monuments of Skanderbeg in Kruja, Tirana, and Pristina, Kosovo (reproduced post-mortum), as well as The Gladiators.

Paço studied first at his home town and then the high school in Thessaloniki, Greece. Afterwards he entered the Athens School of Fine Arts in Athens. During his studies, Paço worked and studied with the Greek modern sculptor Costandinos Dimitriadis, himself student of Auguste Rodin, and others.

He went to Albania in 1941. After World War II, he worked as sculpture teacher in Artistic Lyceum "Jordan Misja" in Tirana, where he would teach all his life until retirement.

Paço was one of the founders of the Albanian sculpture school and tradition.

In addition to his realistic sculptures, Paço created also many nude sculptures during the 1960s and 1970s, and was obligated to destroy them by himself fearing a punishment from the Communist Regime. During this time he was criticized by other members of the Albanian League of Writers and Artists. This lead him to gradually disconnect from the League.

Main part of his work:

• The monument of Skanderbeg in Krujë (started in 1949; finished in 1959), which would be later copied in Pristina, Kosovo, after the 1998–1999 Kosovo War.
• The monument of Skanderbeg (1968), today in "Scanderbeg Square" in Tirana, where he co-worked with the first Albanian sculptor Odhise Paskali and Andrea Mano
• Two statues of Fan Noli, and one of Aleksandër Moisiu (1960s)
• The Gladiators (1973) (3.5 m), anticipated to be placed at the entrance of the ancient Durrës Amphitheatre in Durrës
• The sculptural group Skanderbeg with the People (1982), which is placed in the entrance of the Skanderbeg Museum in Krujë

• In 1984, he was awarded with the People's Artist of Albania title.
• At the exhibition "Spring '90" at the National Art Gallery of Albania, Paço was the winner of first prize with his art work named Girl's Portrait (Albanian: Portret vajze), which one year earlier (before the Fall of Communism in Albania) was prohibited to be exposed inside the gallery as a "modern art work".