Zeni is a documentary photographer, but he is also an accomplished painter which adds a specific flair and distinction to his mixed media work. He presented his work via handmade books, a specifically analog, interactive handmade book, the likes of which I had not seen before. Photographs, illustrations, installations, films, artwork, copy. Family history, tradition, industry and the turbulence of post-communist dictatorship. Albania’s history crystalized in black and white with small pull outs and folded sections.

I see a lot of photography. Once a specific talent level has been identified or established, I find myself looking more at the person than the projects. What else is there? Who else is there? With Zeni I found a calm, humble young man with a smile and an incredible head of hair. (Seriously, great hair.) But I also found someone driven by a need to document and not just for himself.

— Daniel Milnor