"The Covid period with its restrictions has given me more time to dedicate to my creative work. The isolation in a way suited me perfectly as I have always thought of myself as a loner and as one who will never follow the crowd. I also have an obsession for fixing, mending and restoring things which are broken which I suppose in a way has led me to my transferring fragments from reality into virtual entities. My art form is very much about parts alchemizing into new born whole entities.
My art journey started from childhood inspired greatly by my native island's Neolithic temples and of course the influence of my grandfather, Richard England. At an early age I was already building Flintstone-like cities out of any materials I could lay my hands on. Sustainability has always been my obsession together with a particular interest for fixing broken and destroyed things. I have a natural desire to bring dead things back to life. My search is for innovation trying to create something completely new and celebratory. I work against the grain and I think I see things through a lens that almost seems to come from another world.
I was born in Italy, in the city of Florence and consequently feel very much at home in that country. After obtaining a diploma in Finance from Financial Services, Malta, I decided to return to my birth place to study art more specifically Industrial Design. During my stay there I learnt to love Italy even more; the food, the culture, Italian design and the continuous presence of the past in all its cities. That's Amore!...seriously.
My favourite city remains Verona, and I would sit for hours admiring the beauty of its world famous amphitheatre; clean, spacious and absolutely perfect. By the way if anyone is in Verona and one wants a super dinner I highly recommend the Tosca Verona restaurant. Buon appetito!
Italy continues to provide me with fresh inspiration. I feel at home there and travel back and forth for inspiration. I love it!
Two things I really believe in are ambition and fitness. Ambition provides you with the goal posts you strive to attain. I love running alone with headphones listening to music.
I was recently highly inspired by the Paralympic Games in particular with Zion Clark for whom I have even more than great admiration; a disabled American athlete who shattered a world record thus becoming the fastest 20 metre walker on his hands. 20 metres on one's hands in 4.78 seconds is incredible, surely achieved through ambition and sheer determination.
I love film, theatre and music, both heavy metal and classical. Music is food for the soul and I often loose myself listening to it. I play instruments but my favourite is the guitar.
As a hobby I collect fossils and shells. I think of these beautiful objects as literally homes for the living, fascinating from a design point of view and also creating a soul enhancing bridge connecting past, present and future.
My latest collections focus on an ongoing series of fortresses together with other themes. From the fragmentary world I attempt to build a new one as an emblem of unification and unity. My desire is for wholeness and harmony in the hope that viewers of my work will resonate visually and spiritually with the images I create.
My work consists of creating, almost out of nothing, by cutting and shaping to form entirely new entities. Although life at times can be difficult, I believe one can recreate oneself and my artwork is a manifestation of this. I hope to prove to others that you can rise and break free from what weighs you down.
"To live is to die" Born under the sign of Capricorn I like to climb to the top, fly high and view things from a bird's eye view point. They say the higher you fly the more you risk your life but the greatest elation you can experience comes from the highest elevation.
As an artist, I spend much time alone, but solitude enriches me and one discovers more of one's own qualities when one is alone. I strive in my work to create images of reality converted to fictitious ones, where the finished works are much more than the sum of the parts which constitute them. Despite the seriousness of my work I am playful, endlessly searching to recreate a fantasy whimsical world. This is my voice in colour, structure and form; to have courage and never give up and although moving forward still returning to the inner child within me. I like to be new and my aim is to ride high and I sincerely hope that the creations I make open paths to seductive, fairy-like fantastic kingdoms."