What was your inspiration for this exhibition? Why Hamsin?
The title directly refers to my age next birthday, which falls on the 18th of February. The exhibition itself will be in the form of a (7-day long) party, where I hope to celebrate with my friends and anyone who is interested in my work, in a beautiful space, surrounded by my art. I'm not very fond of birthdays, but I thought that half a century is something worth celebrating. The idea of a solo show makes the thought of getting old a bit less sour I guess.
How did you develop the paintings you are exhibiting?
I have been preparing for Ħamsin for over a year. I thought of creating a painting to represent each year from my birth year 1974 to this year, 2024. The first two paintings I did were on two spare canvases that I had at the studio; a 1m square canvas and another measuring 180x20cm. And that kind of set the measurements of all the following paintings.
Each painting is thoroughly researched. I thank my lucky stars that my parents store a lot of keepsakes from my childhood; toys, clothes, photographs, video and voice recordings, copybooks, drawings, music, letters, old school bags, booklets, newspapers, shoes...practically everything. I'm a kind of a hoarder myself, keeping all kinds of memorabilia from my adolescence up to the present; concert tickets, leaflets, diaries, a pregnancy test, all my daughter's favourite toys, books, art and clothes, letters, cards, films, posters....you name it, I probably have it :) I spent over a year going through these mementos, digging up memories with family members and old friends and visiting places I used to frequent when I was young. Many sent me old photographs and helped me remember events that I had almost forgotten.
I was not looking for any particular memories. I embarked on this project without any preconceived notions, other than that of storytelling. Not all of the memories are pleasant of course and the project made me feel uncomfortable quite often. But then again, I do not believe that art exists to only address pretty matters.
Each of the fifty paintings represents each of the years that I have lived so far. Each of them is imbued with meanings and stories. And the collection as a whole is a showcase of how I perceive life and experience. Each work is made of visual clues about the world and my existence; fragments that visitors can make whole through their sensibility, and then, perhaps, make their own.
Do you have a mentor?
I do not have a mentor per se, but I like to surround myself with artists I admire and who are honest when criticising my work. I appreciate genuine advice and I love to learn; especially from my students.
What is your favourite and least favourite aspect of being an artist?
Most favourite: That I can communicate in other ways than verbally. I am not very keen on verbal communication.
Least favourite:Scraping and scratching art material from your body at the end of each day. And accepting the fact that you will always, always have someone telling you to remove a little lump of paint from your hair.
Do you think networking with other artists is important, and if so how do you go about it?
Yes, it is very important and it helps me to grow, both as an artist and as a person.
It is such a beautiful experience when I share a concept with another artist and we become involved in each other's ideas, helping each other see things from different perspectives.
Do you have a favourite piece of art you made yourself and which you would never sell or give away?
I consider my work as parts of me, so when they find new homes, it always comes with a bittersweet taste. On one hand, I feel honoured that someone appreciates my work to the extent that they want to have it as part of their lives, but on the other, work is very hard to part with.
That being said, being a full-time artist I don't have the luxury of being able to keep a lot of work for myself.
Yes, there are pieces that are much closer to my heart than others, and they have all found new homes and fabulous owners.
Any favourite world artist you admire?
There's more than one, but today I'm going to settle with Christian Boltanski and Gustav Klimt. They're very different in their approach, but if I had to find something that they both have, that I admire, is that they were both true to themselves in their work.
How do you feel the internet, Facebook and other platforms have impacted the world of art?
The internet and social media have made art available to a much wider audience. And that is good. The downside is that like pretty much everything else, once on social media, there is no limit to how much your work will travel, be tampered with and put into different contexts.
Which is the best advice you have been given when it comes to art?
Listen.
What message or advice would you give to those wanting to make their career as artists?
1. Thank you.
2. Learn.
3. Be true to yourself.
What is something you now know that you wish you had known before?
You can say 'no' much more often than you already do.
The show will take place in an early 17th century Palazzo in Qrendi. Can you say something about this Palazzo?
Due to the number and the sizes of the work it was very hard to find a space where they could fit comfortably. I needed a special space that resonates with me and the work, not just any space. I was just about to give up when a friend of a friend offered this beautiful space and I couldn't believe my luck.
Since its construction circa 1616, its split in the 19th century, to its recent reinstation, the building has gone through changes in both its appearance and purpose. Just as I have. Just as we all do. Change is inevitable. It is what keeps us relevant, true to our nature and purposeful. And this is the concept of Ħamsin in a nutshell.
It is currently undergoing renovation. It is situated in the village core, just round the corner from the parish church, with ample parking spaces in the vicinity. All steps have been taken to ensure the safety of the visitors; however, caution is still recommended when visiting the space.
Those who visit the exhibition are kindly requested to wear black, which is the theme colour of the event.
Yes, let's all pretend that this is my funeral.
