St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, is hosting the first solo show of Mexican artist Polena Riemann Ramirez. The exhibition comprises over 50 paintings, mostly very recent non-figurative work painted in Malta, where Polena lives part of the year.

The paintings are arranged in order, as if the viewer were moving in concentric circles, closer and closer to the artist’s inner life.

The visitor is first faced with scenes from Nature which, although painted very literally, are yet disconcerting and difficult to decipher, because they are approached from unusual angles or viewing distances. Paradoxically, the purely visual impact of such images stimulates the imagination, as the rational brain is rather left out of the equation.

As you move along the halls, external inspiration gradually becomes less important. Elements of urban and rural landscapes caught as passing glimpses, are transformed and recombined out of context on the canvases. Further on, archetypes and metaphors such as water or ships lost at sea are used as vehicles to express dissatisfactions, longings or solitude.

Moral principles are dealt with sometimes in an almost jocular manner, perhaps in an attempt to ‘soften the blow’, as jokes often do when dealing with serious issues. Eventually, the artist shares her most intimate moments and flights of the imagination.

Polena was born in Mexico but has lived abroad half of her life. She graduated as a biologist and followed a career as a computer programmer. At the same time, she gained education and experience in a wide spectrum of art media and techniques in Mexico, London, Melbourne, and Malta. She has previously exhibited in Australia (Melbourne University, Box Hill Community Arts Centre) and Malta (St. James Cavalier and the Casino di Venezia).

The exhibition is called IMAGE BANK and runs till 12 June.