Sead Kazanxhiu: Albanian Romani Artist Challenges System and Community

Sead Kazanxhiu (born 1987 in Fier, Albania) is an Albanian artist of Romani origin who studied at the University of Tirana and Central European University in Budapest. Recently appointed to the board of ERIAC (European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture), a network he helped found in 2017 in Berlin, Kazanxhiu uses his multidisciplinary practice—including performance, installation, and public interventions—to document Romani daily life and advocate for community rights. His notable work 'Shtepizeza' ('little house') started as a demonstration about housing conditions and a self-funded scholarship project; though financially unsuccessful, it became a symbol of protest outside the prime minister's office. In 2013, he blocked parliament entrance with eight tractor wheels painted with the Romani flag to demand institutional representation. Kazanxhiu deliberately identifies as a 'Romani artist' to normalize the label, rejecting exoticism and insisting on an insider perspective. He criticizes the Albanian art scene for lacking professional critics and meaningful discourse, noting that Prime Minister Edi Rama, a painter, prioritized his own exhibitions abroad. He contrasts his family's work ethic with dependency on aid, advocating for self-reliance. His work has been shown across Europe and beyond.