Peter Seychell will be transforming our Kamra ta' Fuq, into a Room For Speculation in his second solo exhibition, which will run until 3 March.
I met Peter and his art some years ago, in the collective exhibition Protagonisti where he exhibited a number of works in ink that featured mind-blowing minute details, easily translated in an excruciating number of hours of laborious work. His artistic style has evolved rapidly, which was quite evident in his first solo exhibition, titled BAĦĦ, curated by Mark Mallia, where one could observe a change from intricate lines to freer brush strokes and flowy ink. And between us, while I was at his studio, I did glimpse some works that are completely on a different subject from what we are accustomed to associating with Seychell, and I hope he'll transform them into his next exhibition. So... I think it is safe to say that we will be in for a surprise sometime soon.
Quick background check: Peter is apparently quite shy, though as we say in Maltese, "taqbiżlu malajr"(quickly loses his temper). He has started focusing seriously on his art only in the last few years, which is hard to believe when one sees his works. He is a draftsman by profession but his career has been mostly pharma-related setting up and managing various companies involved in pharmaceutical importation, distribution as well as manufacturing.
Similarly, as we saw in BAĦĦ, in this exhibition, Peter's works are totally focused on nature - an untouched, pristine nature, far removed from human influence, and void from any human beings. During one of the studio visits, he mentioned that he tried to work on something completely different, but the theme related to nature kept coming back to him and these works started coming to him so naturally. This comes as no surprise as he is very fond of nature and he seeks it every time he travels, as he feels that in Malta we're suffocating in a lack of natural surroundings. His works are an escape route for him, a highway to freedom.
Seychell is taking matters a step further here, where he is conceptually transforming the Kamra ta' Fuq into the "room for speculation", where the "viewers are invited to immerse themselves in a space surrounded by his artworks, providing an opportunity for profound reflection and an enhanced appreciation of the immense beauty of nature. However, most of the works in the exhibition are functioning as an indirect commentary on the stark reality - a significant departure from the idyllic scenes depicted. His art subtly alludes to the repercussions of speculation, excessive development, exploitation and the degradation of pristine lands, in a never-ending quest for fossil fuels, minerals, farming ..... and now, lithium mining. All contributing to the unfortunate truth of how humanity is systematically harming the very planet it calls home".
Conceptually, these works and the overarching theme of the exhibition evoke associations with the Land Art movement (or Earth Art). While the artistic styles are, of course completely different, there is a shared emphasis on addressing ecological concerns. This thematic parallel can be observed in iconic Land Art works such as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty and the various projects by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, including those utilizing oil barrels, such as The Wall.
Back to our artworks, one can say that each wall is showing works executed in particular styles, all fitting the theme but let's say, showing different aspects of nature and the artist's mood. A number of works are in monochrome, a play of grey and black along with the immaculate white of the paper, enhancing solitude in these imaginary idyllic scapes, executed in inks, charcoal and pencil. To name a few, Floodplains and The Bottomlands and Joli Bois - a 150cm long artwork featuring a snippet of a densely populated forest, meticulously executed in pencil.
A section shows a more "joyous" mood, with a number of works showing more idyllic treescapes executed in bright and realistic colours, such as Xagħri and Reflections of Autumn. The opposite wall shows abstract snippets of what destruction and eventual doom will feel like. The titles chosen for these works are also so different from the ones used for the idyllic scenes. We have Frigid Falls, Rage, Destruction and Tick Tock, a reminder that time is ticking and the bomb is ready to explode. The latter is the only work that shows hints of manmade architecture where we see a room (maybe an illegally-built room in a field), set ablaze and being claimed by what can be perceived as fire.
My favourite one (yes I always have a favourite), is Dante's Realm, which I feel encapsulates the exhibition's concept. An idyllic scene in the middle of nowhere, trees perched at the edge of what might be a precipice, the sky is of a complex grey and fiery gold, the foreground land is covered in a dark red, maybe blood or lava or both, a "beautified" end of days. For me, its counterpart is Sagħtar (Wild Thyme), which shows an idyllic and serene landscape with a sky subtly reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis, a heavenly white.
Spectral' presents a distinctive approach in both execution and composition. The artwork features two distinct glimpses of a forest, positioned at the top and bottom halves, with a water partition showcasing roots that shouldn't be visible. Although the forest snippets may appear as mirror images initially, upon closer inspection, they reveal subtle differences. This composition suggests images from parallel worlds, perhaps one representing our current reality and the other portraying a world devoid of human existence.
The artist will be donating 10% of sales to Shawn Mifsud, who is trying to raise enough funds to get bionic prosthesis after having lost both arms and both legs. Ecovis will be donating the same value raised by the artist.
The exhibition is curated by yours truly and will be open every day till noon.
More opening hours will be announced on our social media. Follow il-Kamra ta' Fuq.
