Renowned artist Isabelle Borg passed away yesterday, aged 51. Ms Borg had been suffering from diopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a degenerative lung disease which was made worse because of construction work taking place next door to her residence in Floriana. In March of this year she was interviewed about her condition in which she explained that dust exacerbates her illness; in fact she was breathing with the help of an oxygen mask.

At that time she had asked that the construction work should at least be monitored, pointing out that she was going to be effectively buried in her own home since the new block of apartments would cut off most of her natural air and light.

Despite fighting the project for almost 20 years, not only because it was detrimental to her health but also because they were tearing down a historic building, Ms Borg’s attempts to halt the works proved futile.

Last month, the planning authority’s auditor confirmed that the permits should have never been issued, which was hardly a consolation for Ms Borg who said “any comment of mine is superfluous at this point.”

Ms Borg was born and raised in London where she studied painting at the Camberwell School of Art, London. After coming to live in Malta, she read for an MA (History of Art) and became a lecturer at the University of Malta.

She held regular several solo exhibitions of her paintings, and her work is to be found in a number of public and private collections. Working from her studio in Floriana, she continued to paint until 2008 when her illness made her too frail to continue.

AD Chairperson Michael Briguglio expressed his condolences to Isabelle Borg’s family, adding that, “she will surely be remembered by her students and colleagues in the cultural scene. She left a wealth of art which is part of Malta’s heritage.”