The first art exhibition by young artist, Jean Karl Izzo, is currently open to the public at St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, Valletta.

Last year, Jean Karl was awarded the Silver Palette by the Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce.

As the title of the exhibition suggests, silence, spaces and void are all characteristics which are present throughout these artworks. It is an abstract and very minimal subject where the artist removes all the unnecessary detail from actual and fictitious subjects to leave only the essential details present – these are lines, colour and form. The result is a very simple one but as Leonardo da Vinci himself said: simplicity is the greatest form of sophistication. Frank Lloyd Wright referred to simplicity as being one of the fundamental qualities of works of art when he said: Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.

When reviewing the artworks in the exhibition, Prof. Richard England said that on viewing Jean Karl Izzo’s collection of canvasses, it is obvious that the works are a product of a muse of silence; perhaps visual equivalents of Japanese koans. “These poems without words are minimalistic enigmatic puzzles which the artist presents to the observer in hope that he or she may unravel them to achieve some progress towards enlightenment. These works, drawings without adjectives are canvasses of stasis where the void has more meaning than the solid,” continued Prof. England.

The artist’s work is a result of reductivism, and some of the artworks represent the reduction of unessential details from architecture. One such example, is Rialto where the 14th century Venetian bridge was undressed from all its pompousness and regalia, represented to the viewer in a bold black shadow, surrounded by the void; creating a visual impact, transformed from an icon into another icon of our century. Another artwork that depicts such subtraction of detail is Composizione Megalitica. The exhibition will remain open to the public until 13 December and entrance to the exhibition is free.