I met Trevor Diacono around a year ago at il-Kamra ta' Fuq and we immediately agreed that we have to collaborate on a solo exhibition one day, and, ... we are excited to announce that we are currently hosting the first solo exhibition by Trevor Diacono at il-Kamra ta' Fuq, titled eye sea you.
For those of you acquainted with the art scene in Malta, the surname Diacono might ring two bells... yes Victor Diacono is Trevor's grandfather and Andrew Diacono is his uncle. While we were setting up the exhibition, I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Trevor's parents, Joseph and Veronica. Joseph shared quite some anecdotes from Trevor's early years and his first meetings with art, where Victor Diacono immediately noticed the talent within young Trevor, while he was playing with clay under the watchful eye of his grandfather. We also have to include a special thanks to Veronica, who meticulously tackled the finishing touches of the exhibition hang. Trevor Diacono is a full-time artist in Brussels and all the exhibition pieces were executed there and shipped to Malta. (I let you imagine the suspense till all the sculptures were declared safe and sound).
The exhibition title is eye sea you and as one can imagine, the theme revolves around the sea and sea creatures, but not only. We transformed the exhibition room into what my daughter described as a humongous aquarium. In fact, the arrival of these large fish sculptures caused quite a roar in the ħanut tat-te situated under the exhibition room, which ignited the new catchphrase that we will be hearing for three weeks: Ħut għandna (I was so close to use it as the article's title). The works can be divided into three series, all harmoniously tied together by the exhibition's concept and Trevor's love for the sea.
The series titled FishFace is perhaps the most iconic in Trevor's oeuvre. He is known for the morphing of unexpected objects or creatures. A case in point is his Boy to Man series where he is morphing dinosaurs into penises - a reflection on the enthusiasm of a young boy playing with dinosaurs to adulthood and the newly discovered enthusiasm for sex.
The fish sculptures pertaining to the exhibition all portray human features in their faces, from the perfect human ears to the flawless noses, the sculptures are almost caricatures of these strange creatures that emerged from the artist's imagination. Interesting to note is that he didn't try to make the fish's eyes resemble human eyes. Instead, he created quite bulging unnatural eyes, emphasised with the help of Selenite crystals, which apart from looking glossy, in some traditions, are known for their powerful healing and protection properties and seems these crystals are also considered as one of the most important tools for an "energy worker" and are a must-have, for the cleansing of unwanted surrounding energies!
The various fish are quite large and the detail of the scales and features deserves a close examination. They are executed in mixed media and the finish allows these large sculptures to face the inclement weather and hence can be exhibited outdoors. The morphing of man and fish comes from the artist's love of the sea, and the freedom he finds during his dives, which makes him feel like one with the underwater creatures and part of the mysterious underwater world. The morphing between fish and humans goes a step further with the titles of the works. Some of the fish have human names, at times reminiscent of the fish species. These names bring the fish to a more intimate level as if they were neighbours, friends or schoolmates. We have Anglu, an Angelfish, which the artist modeled on his own facial features, perhaps it can be considered as a "fishy" self-portrait, pun intended. Angelica, the Angler fish is sporting an actual light bulb, which hey, comes also with a dimmer switch. The centerpiece within the exhibition setup is Waylin, the whale of course. It is executed in a polished glossy finish and coloured in a dark ultramarine blue, with its little human ears and its imposing protruding tail caught in mid-air, just moments before the immense splash of water that we will never hear.
Le penseur is different from the others in its execution. This was the first piece from the series and one can appreciate a less glossy finish and the eyes are executed in the same material as the body, all emanating a sense of a dainty solitude, a fish lost in its thoughts. Geppetto can be perceived as an interactive artwork. It is made up of two fish - a large one with a gaping mouth, ready to swallow its meal and a very small fish - which can be played around with, by placing them either facing each other, or not, and one can increase the distance between the predator and its victim.
The Waves series consists of a number of miniature waves captured in their full glory. Each wave executed in plaster, epoxy and oils is neatly boxed in wooden cases, acting like a sort of shelving. The envy of every surfer, these waves have a deeper meaning to the artist. They are both a reflection of the soul and a representation of the different humors of the sea... The waves are coming out of the deep darkness of the sea to the light surface, symbolised by the white foam topping up each wave.
The third series consists of "rust paintings" and two examples are in the exhibition. What lies beneath shows a very large octopus that is invading all the picture's space, lurking in the dark depths of some forbidden cave. The other, titled The Fisherman, shows a silhouette of a typical luzzu and a fisherman busy with his nets. For Diacono, this work is tying up land and sea. The fisherman has a very crucial role as the bridge between the two worlds.
The exhibition invites visitors to challenge the conventional and emerge with a fresh perspective on the world. Within every expression, wave and rusted texture, there lies a unique narrative of beauty and connection, waiting to be discovered.
The exhibition is curated by Melanie Erixon and is on until 3 December at il-Kamra ta' Fuq. For further information and opening hours, follow il-Kamra ta' Fuq on social media
