Fahredin Shehu 2021

Gazmend Freitag created this drawing of Fahredin Shehu in 2021, using graphite on paper. The image is dominated by the figure of a man with a pencil held in his mouth, a pose that immediately draws attention to the act of thinking and creation. Freitag uses line to articulate form and shadow. The closely hatched lines on the vest create a dense, almost tactile surface, contrasting with the smoother areas of the face and hands. This juxtaposition of textures and densities not only models the figure but also imbues it with a sense of depth. The gaze, directed slightly upward, gives the subject a thoughtful or inquisitive air. The composition is structured around the dynamic diagonals of the arms and the focused intensity of the face, which serve to destabilize a conventional portrait, suggesting a semiotic interplay between the act of drawing and the subject’s intellectual presence. The drawing's very structure conveys a meaning beyond simple representation.