Marika Azzopardi
Maltese mosaic artist Chris Urpani will once again be exhibiting a fresh selection of his brilliantly coloured compositions in glass, granite and marble. These are large works of incandescent colour, created with much patience and hundreds of tiny shards and fragments that together become impressive wall showpieces and are art with a difference.
Mosaic has a long history. First created some 4,000 years ago, it evolved from simple coloured pebble pavements to geometric complications of Greek technique and some very realistic naturalistic images. Over the centuries, fragments of marble, glass or pottery replaced pebbles; ultimately, whatever glittered, glistened or simply shone with colour was used for the creation of interesting masterpieces.
Today we can still marvel at the Roman, Byzantine or Paleo-Christian mosaics on floors and walls that hark back to ancient times. In between, oriental décor from the Middle East, and those seen in cosmopolitan city centre metro stations reveal cultural elements as diverse as they come.
The technique of mosaic art has certainly not died out and this exhibition is proof enough that it hasn’t. Urpani is self-taught and has honed his skills by patient observation and an eye for colour. This leads him to transform sheets of glass and slabs of marble into large frames that blend shadow and shade with sparkle and glitter shooting off from reflections of light. Swirls, mazes, quizzical forms – some of the mosaics are inspired by our own very Mediterranean colours, others by patterns from the East or shades from the Sahara.
Over the past years, the artist has been experimenting with a three-dimensionality that recreates all sorts of shapes merging and morphing to include crushed marble and granite particles that lend a different translucency to the gloss of highly reflective polished glass. The contrast, especially when seen at close range, is refreshingly simple yet helps bring out the effects created by the alternating materials to the full. His latest works are particularly exhilarating, inspired by the colours and the wilderness of sand and heat. The sun is present in all its glory and cosmic factors are worked out in a composition of materials that must have required hours of careful cutting, mixing, handling, observing and placing, to work at one with his artistic intent. Chris Urpani’s work is produced with much patience and attention to minute detail in all the colours of the spectrum.
The exhibition has some 60 pieces on display, and in Chris’ own words, “This time round I would like to give something back to society and have decided that proceeds from this exhibition will be in aid of the Richmond Foundation.” This exhibition definitely deserves a visit, if anything to appreciate how dedication and creativity, coupled with an excellent eye for detail, can transform something as seemingly useless as broken materials into a truly stunning work of art.
Mosaic art by Chris Urpani can be viewed at Le Meridien St Julian’s Hotel & Spa between 10 and 13 June. The exhibition will be officially opened by Mrs Kate Gonzi. Viewing is all day and entrance is free. For further information on Chris Urpani’s mosaic art check out www.mosaictecnik.com