The Malta View is the title of an exhibition of paintings by Lionel and Narinder Coates who declare that “Malta is the place they call home”. This statement is easily confirmed when one visits the exhibition which opens tomorrow and will run until Saturday 26 January at Ghaqda Filantropika Talent Mosti, Ir-Razzett tal-Markiz Mallia Tabone, Wied il-Ghasel Street, Mosta (next to the Lily of the Valley School).

The couple’s love for Malta, its particular way of life, and its vivid colours are radiated from each and every exhibited painting, albeit according to each artist’s individual style. Lionel Coates paints in order to look for and explore the underlying order in the world around him and to capture its structure in a way that brings out its hidden or unexpected parts.

It was once said of one of his paintings that every time the viewer looked at it he saw something new, something that he had not seen before. “This is something that I have tried to achieve in all my work. Of late I have been concentrating on capturing the Malta of days gone by – the boats, the workers, and the places – so that some memory of the past remains,” explained Mr Coates. More of his paintings may be seen on www.geocities.com/lionelcoates .

Narinder Coates also draws her inspiration from the images she sees around her in Malta. “I try to capture subjects that hold a certain kind of charm and beauty for me. The light of the island is always the main source of instinctive pleasure. I admire the way it transforms an object, a building or a form from nature. My love of colours helps me to express a scene as I see it in my mind’s eye,” she said. During this process of painting – at this moment in time mainly in oils – her paintings take on a life of their own. Her final work emerges after having done the homework of working at the composition beforehand with the aid of her digital camera, by being at the scene and by drawing. “Harmony is then achieved by the actual process of painting and exploration,” said Ms Coates. Her paintings may be seen on www.geocities.com/narindercoates

Viewing times are from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on Mondays-Saturdays and from 10am to 12 noon on Sundays.

Part of the proceeds from the exhibition will be going towards the work of Ghaqda Filantropika Talent Mosti and part to the Charity Fund of the Commandery of the Castello of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem.

Having its official seat in Malta, the Order of St Lazarus dates back to the 11th century and has a long and chequered history. The Order is both international and ecumenical in character and gives humanitarian aid to many countries in the Third World, particularly to leprosy clinics. Members are committed to work for Christian unity.