De Novo is a debut exhibition by Sylvana Debono. While not new to the public sphere this is Debono's first contribution to the artistic world as a mixed media artist. "I have been painting, on and off, all my life," said Debono, "but 15 years ago, I felt that the time had come to make art an integral part of my life." At that point, she explained, her personal friendship with another artist, Ray Piscopo, was, for her, very inspiring and motivating. Although the styles and techniques used by Piscopo and Debono vary greatly, Debono felt that Piscopo's innovative way of using line and colour awakened an urge to explore and experiment.
The turning point came when Debono met international artist Steven Christian Reed. Living and working in the south of France, Reed's surroundings often provide the starting point for his work. Inspired by nature and intrigued by the fluctuating effects of light, Steven's paintings are often infused with pattern, colour, texture and the fluidity of lines. This approach greatly influenced Debono in her search for truth and beauty in art. The changes in light observed in different parts of the world affected the artist greatly as well as the tenderness and sometimes the cruelty of nature, the not-so-gentle handprint of humankind and the different textures of life. "I've been teaching Sylvana for almost a decade and on a personal level, it's been a real pleasure. It didn't take long for Sylvana to take hold of her artistic direction and voice. Sylvana is an artist who has a lot to say, drawing inspiration from many different areas. Her love for colour is always at the heart of her work," said Reed.
"I have never been interested in painting a picture which looks like a photograph," explained Debono. Influenced by the marginal abstraction of Impressionism, as well as the glorious use of colour in Fauvism, Debono's compositions are sufficiently realistic to be recognisable but show a level of thinking outside the box which is not usual in predominantly water colour paintings. Her paintings capture a vibrancy and an excitement of mood, even when the choice of colours is muted. This innovative approach to water colour is assisted through the use of texturization, which renders the resulting artworks as mixed media. Whether it is gesso, grounding, string or any inert material, the push to finding new reactions to watercolour has no limits for Debono. Indeed, she has also produced watercolour works on materials such as canvas and silk.
'The magical touch of gold leaf'
In her first exhibition, Debono looks at the world around her in a new way. Not only is she a new kid on the block artistically, but she also brings a freshness of outlook to the current artistic milieu. Her pieces range from unusually large pieces such as the Arches collection to small, intimate pieces such as those featuring creatures great and small. From bees to seahorses, the colour play emphasises aspects of life: the dainty ladybird, the industrious bee, the elegant but sinister seahorse, the latter a favourite of the artist. All these seem to capture the essence of the focal point but dissolve on the outer reaches of the painting so that the eye is left to dwell and produce its own version of reality. "In this exhibition, we see representational subjects with a twist. In many paintings, Sylvana manipulates subjects using mixed media and carries a sensitive approach when considering techniques. She juggles a pallet of technicolour with the magical touches of gold leaf," explained Reed. "This is a form of psychological closure. The artist does not need to depict everything. The viewer then can partner with the artist in mentally placing details which the artist has omitted. This way, art becomes a participative and collaborative affair," observed Debono.
The use of gold and silver leaf is also a leit motif in this debut exhibition. From the controlled use of gold leaf in pieces such as The Lion and The Hare to more exuberant use such as the Seahorse collection and the innovative use in the Arches group; the use of metal leaf gives this exhibition an added oomph. The use of metal leaf is not simple and its application indicates a considerable level of skill obtained by this artist. "This exciting exhibition marks the first chapter. The start of a very exciting journey with her best work on display. What a fantastic accomplishment putting this exhibition together," concluded Reed.
'De Novo' is being held at the Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta' Qali, until 27 January.