Dr. Dashamir Vaqarri

Education

01/2016 – 04/2020       

PhD in Fine Art, Practice-based research, University of Derby    

Dissertation and final oil painting exhibition: ‘Transnationalism and Migration: Concepts of Home in Post-Communist Albanian Diasporas’. Bursary funded - PGR Award from the College of Arts, Humanities and Education 

04/2003 – 10/2008       

MA & BA in History of art and Comparative Cultural Studies University of Regensburg, Germany  

Thesis: ‘Madonna tondi in 14th and 15th century Florence painting: Botticelli, Signorello, Michelangelo, Raffael’. Received university bursary for academic performance 

10/1996 – 07/2000       

MA & BA in Fine Art, University of Arts, Tirana, Albania

                     Final project: ‘The Year of 1997’ Oil on Canvas (110x150cm)

Awards and Prizes

• Winner Calderdale Open Art Exhibition September 2015

• Winner “Best in Show” Halifax Art Society annual show, November 2015

• UNESCO Golden prize for Europe 1989. Lidice, Czech Republic

Exhibitions

• Group exhibition ‘Artists Biennial exhibition’ Crossley Gallery Dean Clough, Halifax, UK, 29.06.24 – 13.10.24

• Group exhibition ‘I Know What I like’ Crossley Gallery Dean Clough, Halifax, UK, 25.02.23 – 25.05.23

• Solo exhibition ‘New Routes’ (22 oil paintings) at Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, UK, 08.10.22 – 26.01.23

• Group exhibition ‘Touchstone’ Crossley Gallery Dean Clough, Halifax, UK, 17.06.22 – 17.07.22

• Group exhibition ‘Showcase’ Crossley Gallery Dean Clough, Halifax, UK, 19.02.22 – 30.06.22

• Group exhibition ‘Showcase’ Crossley Gallery Dean Clough, Halifax, UK, 04.06.21 – 30.11.21

• Group multi-media exhibition ‘100 years of art in Tirana’, Tirana, Albania, 23.07.20 – 31.07.20

• Solo exhibition ‘Migration and Transnationalism’ (12 oil paintings) at University of Derby, UK, 16.12.19 – 31.01.20

• Tirana Intellectum exhibition ‘Save the National Theatre’ Albanian National Theatre, Tirana, Albania, 16.10.19 – 30.10.19

• Solo exhibition ‘Migration and Transnationalism’ (16 oil paintings) at Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, UK, 27.10.18 – 20.01.19

• Curation of THEROEM Doctoral Research in the Visual Arts exhibition, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge, UK, 5 - 20 July 2018

• An Exhibition of Doctoral Research in the Visual Arts, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge, UK, 5 - 20 July 2018

• An Exhibition of Doctoral Research in the Visual Arts, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Art, Cambridge, UK, 6 - 20 July 2017

• Solo exhibition (25 oil paintings), in the gallery of Dr. Norbert Schmitz, Watmarkt 9, 93047 Regensburg, Germany, 13.09.07 – 30.08.08

• Solo exhibition ‘My Life Part 2’ (20 oil paintings), Art Forum, University of Regensburg, Germany, 02.05.05 – 13.05.05

• Solo exhibition ‘My Life Part 1’ (18 oil paintings), Art Forum, University of Regensburg, Germany, 11.06.03 – 26.06.03

• Group exhibition, National Gallery, Tirana, Albania, 15.03.95 – 20.04.95

• Various group exhibitions 1990 – 2000, Albania, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

Publications

Vaqari, D.2023.  Critical Essay of Visual Artist Ilir Bala. In FAB, G. (ed.) Painting Exhibition Masquerade Ball.  Gallery FAB University of Art: Tirana

Vaqari, D.2019. Aspects of education in the UK and Albania. In Baci, A. (ed.) Medius. Mediaprint: Tirana

Vaqari, D. 2019. Art practice as a methodology for research in transnationalism and home. In: Boyer, J. (ed.) Theorem Doctoral research in the visual arts and design: Theory as practice and practice as theory. Cambridge School of Art: Cambridge

Vaqari, D.2018.  Art, identity and Albanian transnationalism. In Baci, A. (ed.) Medius. Mediaprint: Tirana

Vaqari, D. 2018. Albanian transnationalism: Historical causes. In: Boyer, J. (ed.) Theorem Doctoral research in the visual arts and design: Theory as practice and practice as theory. Cambridge School of Art: Cambridge

Conferences

·  Symposium presentation ‘Art practice as a methodology for research in transnationalism and home’ and exhibition of works, THEOREM – Doctoral research in the Visual Arts, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Arts, Cambridge, UK, July 2018

·  Symposium presentation ‘Albanian transnationalism: Historical causes’ and exhibition of works, THEROEM – Doctoral Research in the Visual Arts, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Arts, Cambridge, UK, July 2017

·  Presentation and exhibition of artworks for Europe week, Regensburg June 2007

Invited talks

·  Invited guest lecture: Arts Education in the UK, Germany and Albania. Practice-based research in Fine Art. Department of Graphic Design at the Albanian University in Tirana, Albanian, March 2022

·  Invited guest lecture: Migration in Art. Dean Clough Galleries Halifax, UK, September 2019

·  Invited guest lecture: Migration in Art. Coventry University / Herbert Gallery Coventry, UK, November 2017

·  Invited guest lecture: Practice-based research and development of postgraduate provision, European University of Tirana, Albania, October 2017

Media appearances

Interview on current Art Research debates 29.01.23. National TV journal ‘Euronews Albania’ in Tirana, Albania

·  Interview on current Art Research debates 03.09.18. National TV journal ‘Report TV’ in Tirana, Albania

·  Interview on current artistic debates 04.09.06 - National TV journal ‘News 24’ in Tirana, Albania

·  Interview on issues surrounding art students 07.12.2005. Regional newspaper ‘Mittelbayerische Zeitung’ in Regensburg, Germany