 |
| Lika Janko |
She is known by the name Lika Janko. The Bulgarian painter of Albanian origin, Europe called her the "Picasso in a dress" when she was still creating under the teeth of Bulgarian communist censorship accusing her of "formalism" and "avant-garde." With her creative stubbornness, she painted her life in colors that spoke the language of her country of origin. Her full name was Evangjelina Janko Grabova. She was baptized with this name in Sofia, in a generous and hospitable place for her family that left Albania in 1928.
Lika Janko was born on March 19, 1928. She was the daughter of Llazar Janko, born in Grabova of Gramsh, while her mother, Frosina, was from the outskirts of Pogradec, Diaspora Shqiptare riports.
In the mid-'70s of the 20th century and later, Lika's paintings began to be bought by diplomatic representations in Sofia, attracting the attention of foreign collectors. About 500 of her works are owned by private collections around the world. European gallerists have praised Lika as the most brilliant representative of contemporary Bulgarian painting, while French critic Pierre Restani compared her work to that of Pablo Picasso, and Lika herself called herself "Picasso in a dress."
In Bulgaria, there is a not insignificant contingent of Albanians who until the end of the '80s regularly obtained Albanian passports from the Albanian state. Later, this service was interrupted, causing them considerable concerns. The lack of a passport prevented them from registering businesses, performing banking transactions, traveling abroad, etc. Their reissuance with Albanian passports took place in 1999. The passports were handed over to them by former President R. Mejdani during a lengthy meeting on an official visit to Bulgaria. Lika and her sister Danka also received such passports. While working at our diplomatic representation in Sofia, I remember that when Danka passed away, the Bulgarian authorities handed over her passport to our embassy.
Lika herself declared Albanian citizenship in a letter to the Board of the Union of Bulgarian Artists on 10.01.1978, where, among other things, she wrote: "I was born in Sofia on March 19, 1928, of Albanian origin, Albanian citizenship."
The date of birth, March 19, 1928, written in her own hand, makes some other years of her birth that circulate about her unclear. Lika was the youngest of her brother Petri and sister Danka. Her real name was Evangjelina, but she signed her paintings as Lika Janko. Her father, Llazar Janko, was from Grabova e Siperme, a picturesque village with Aromanians located in the easternmost part of Gramsh, while her mother, Frosina, was born in the village of Llëngë in Pogradec, also with an Aromanian population. Out of longing for the homeland and the desire to preserve her roots, the Janko family added the toponym Grabova to their surname. In everyday life, Lika was known as Lika Janko Grabova or Lika Grabova. Her family had settled in Sofia in 1920. Llazari was mainly engaged in the timber trade but also in other activities. He quickly came into contact with personalities and activists of the Society "Desire" and became involved in its patriotic activities, and in 1928 he was elected its chairman. Llazar Grabova followed with great interest the social, political, and cultural developments in Albania. Although separated from the homeland for years, he lived with its problems and concerns. Such was the case with the mobilization of "Desire" activists in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities to collect aid for the Korça families affected by the earthquake of 1931.