The cultural and social side of Malta has picked up again after two years in limbo. Invitations to two events in one day is not uncommon. It is unfortunate if you happen to want to go to both and have to choose between them.

Gallery 23 in Balzan is now on its second exhibition since it reopened its doors at Idmejda street. This charming little house which also has an outdoor space seems to have been built to be a bijoux of a gallery. Evenings there are an art-fest-cum-drinks party where friends and acquaintances, we may not have seen for some time, turn up.

Perit Alexia Gingell Littlejohn, Robert Zammit Cutajar, your diarist and Rachel Said

That evening of 27th April it was full of young people, some of them artists themselves. Facebook itself is full of artists displaying their work. I am amazed at how many of them there are in Malta and how excellent much of their work is. It becomes apparent that a new generation has arrived at the centre of power and influence in the art world too.

I asked the artist who also frames for me why he thinks there are so many artists on these islands. I thought his reply most satisfactory: there were many good artists coming to Malta when the knights ruled these islands. Some of them married Maltese and so their DNA was inherited by their children. It makes sense to me.

The exhibition at Gallery 23 is this time a solo exhibition, Walks with Hugo. It turns out that Hugo is Roberta Zammit Cutajar's dog and the paintings were inspired by the walks Roberta enjoyed with her pet.

Dr Helena Said and Andrea Mifsud

Now, I have to admit that I am no lover of domestic animals but love horses and the wild animals I have seen in Africa.  All the drooling I see on Facebook over cats and dogs (some of them pretty ugly) leaves me cold. I cannot even get myself to give them a 'like.' Perhaps we have had too many animals, especially dogs, when we were young: from a beautiful black Chow Chow to a pocket dog. I reserve my love and compassion for people and there isn't enough to go round for animals as well. I am indifferent to them but certainly do not hate them and I am glad that there are those who love them and even give them duck breasts and other delicacies on their birthday.

However, when I turned up at Gallery 23 last week, it turned out that Walks with Hugo is not only about dogs. There is a painting of a cat, another of two beautiful cocks and paintings of our deep blue sea and countryside are there, too. But most moving of all was a painting of Becky with her dog Cookie.

Christine and Kenneth Gauci Borda, Richard and Daniela Scerri

Roberta's paintings are strong, individual, original, contemporary. What she is doing, it seems to me, is what many painters have always done - select from the world around stray sights that look and feel right to them. If there is a message it will follow on its own. We all reach our own conclusions and are touched differently, whether it is art or literature.

This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Becky Zammit Lupi whose death of cancer has touched the heart of even those who did not know her, like myself. In death it is those who are left behind that suffer and only her parents are in a position to know what her loss has meant to them. A tragedy indeed. It is not in the natural order of things to bury your child, but they did and their lives have been torn apart by this tragic loss.

Veronica Grima, Roberta Zammit Cutajar, Claire Pisani Hughes, Jo Jo Grima, Angela Satariano and a friend

The Principal of St Michael's School, Annemarie Carabot said some moving words as we gathered round her for Becky was at that very school. Ms Carabot told us how Becky although shy and quiet loved the Arts especially dancing and would light up, all inhibitions gone and shine on stage. "She also loved to draw and paint and to be creative and although so young she was angered by the corruption happening before her eyes and wanted to fight for justice."

Roberta is sharing the proceeds of the sale of her paintings between the MSPCA and a fund supporting the children of Ukraine.

In the words of the artist: "My walks gave me the opportunity to appreciate the wonders of nature and have inspired me to paint all the works that you will see in my exhibition. The different seasons create a celebration of colours and shadows in the sea, the sky, the clouds, and the landscape that motivates me to recreate it all on canvas.

I love to collect and admire the work done by so many talented local and foreign artists. These are a constant inspiration for me to develop my style and to create images of this beautiful world through my eyes. I never get tired of looking at the sea which gives us so many glorious spectacles from serene calmness to dramatic breakers during and after a storm."

All these sentiments are in Roberta's paintings.

Please not that the exhibition closes on 13 May. Art enthusiasts are welcome to visit the Gallery on open days or contact the Gallarists Alexia and Rachel for further information or to book an appointment for private viewing. 
Gallery open days: Wednesdays 6pm-8pm | Sundays 11am-1pm.
Contact Info: Gallery 23. 23 Idmejda Street, Balzan | 99428272 | [email protected]

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