The furore created by the issue on whether the Cross should remain visible in public places or not, attracted the attention of many people who had never really bothered considering the issue before. Apart from those with a theological, philosophical and intrinsically Catholic mindset, there are those who are also culturally and artistically inclined. These unwittingly started to observe the Cross and its presence in our surroundings.

As a consequence, two artists are presenting a small but meaningful exhibition of crosses. Christian Muscat and Kevin Attard, with the guest participation of Gaetano Saliba and Michael Falzon, have set up what is predominantly a collection of crosses made of silver filigree, ebony and leather. Muscat is an artist with an eclectic portfolio but this time round he has concentrated solely on the simple shape of the Cross. Most of his crosses are made of black ebony, but he has, as is his tendency, also experimented, producing rosary beads made of leather. The beads were made for no particular reason other than the fact that they are extensions of the crucifix, although in this exhibition it is the cross rather than the crucifix that is being exhibited. The one implies the other but in the crucifix the body of Christ is present, in the cross it is not.

Kevin Attard has fully utilised his medium of speciality – silver filigree. For the production of a bevy of crosses made out of this highly flexible medium, Kevin has drawn inspiration also from the ephemeral world of fashion which has, for a considerable period of time, been using the cross not merely as a social ticket but also as a decorative form.

Kevin says, “When we decided to put up this exhibition, we realised that at present the most classic form of the cross is not favoured much by artists who generally try to give it a contemporary and very often grotesque appearance. So we returned to the churches, to the traditional forms of the Cross there. We started seeing the Cross in a surprising number of places and realised there was an abundance of untapped resources waiting to inspire us. Even though its shape is basically extremely simple, it is amazing what can be created when you put an artistic twist into the detail.” He points at the versatility of design which can be picked up from such a simple and humble form. He also indicates the expressiveness that can be achieved, while giving credit to the commercialisation of the Cross, as we know it in the fashion world of our times.

One track of inspiration led Kevin Attard to work on the biggest exhibit in this exhibition – a 70 x 50 cm high cross made entirely of filigree, a project that absorbed his attention for some 12 months. But what about the Latin, what about the title of this unusual exhibition? “Vexilla Regis” was suggested by Ivan Scerri, the owner of Scerri Art Studio. He was very eager to hold this exhibition in his shop, which is essentially a studio selling holy vestments. “Vexilla Regis translates simply into ‘The Cross of the King’. We thought it was fitting. And we hope people will stop to ask what it means.”

Vexilla Regis – An exhibition of Crosses by Christian Muscat and Kevin Attard is showing at Scerri Art Studio, 59 Melita Street, Valletta. Open until 30 March. Mondays – Saturdays 9am to noon,; Mondays – Fridays 4.30 to 7pm.