The Milky Way or “Kashta e Kumtrit” is the galaxy that contains our solar system.

The name derives from the appearance of the galaxy from Earth in the form of a thin line that shines and has a “milky” aspect.

The title “Kashta e Kumtrit” originates from an old traditional Albanian term, which goes with and against the topic simultaneously.
These paintings exude Albanian nostalgia and are surrounded by tradition and breaking away from it at the same time. Stars are seen as small from the earth, but full of light and beauty; just as Artan’s paintings are.
In the times of Covid-19 something we have missed is human touch and intimacy. A love language on its own along with the themes of lust, sex, nostalgia and the human body in its most real form: nude.
It’s a cultural melting pot fused with Balkan nostalgia and the contemporary themes of sexual fantasy. It’s compelling on its themes of the penis and the vagina, a shock factor that is quite daring and gives sexuality a new perspective.