I find myself in the small art studio of Bulgarian artist, Vania Goshe. The light is natural and as bright as a late summer afternoon in Malta can allow. And I am surrounded by the artworks of this woman who has stepped from her Balkan country to live here on Mediterranean Malta. Her art reflects her warm personality, just as much as it reflects that which inspires her both in Malta and in Bulgaria.
Born in 1976, Goshe was a professional videographer and cameraperson, after having trained in the arts, cinema, TV and advertising. She eventually became a freelance artist, and since settling in Malta in 2008, she has continued to participate in local festivals, events and collectives. Timeless Treasures: Heritage & Nature is her 18th solo exhibition that includes paintings completed between 2023 and 2024. The exhibition is neatly divided into two distinct sections, one dedicated to the beauty of Maltese heritage and the other to the beauty of nature.
Goshe's stylistic painting traits are unmistakably identifiable. Her palette of myriad iridescent oil colours reflects some of the natural light of a Balkan climate, enmeshed with the bright light of our sunshiny island. In fact her colours are distinctly different from what most other local artists use. It is as if Goshe has brought the colours of Bulgaria to sit onto the scenes of Malta.
Observing her favourite scenic Maltese paintings, which identify under the exhibition section of "heritage", one becomes immersed in canvases glowing with softly radiant hues. The reflected light is brilliant and her use of the oil paint is in a technique that draws faint inspiration from Pointillism, but is meted out in heavily textured strokes of spatula. She tackles typically popular Maltese sights in this heavy-handed yet light-hearted manner. Her larger canvases are most impressive because the viewer can feel totally absorbed by the swathes of multi-colouring that each transmits.
Bulgarian nationals are used to lavish floral decor, starting from their national regionally identified costumes, all fully embellished with stylised vertical or horizontal panels of embroidered floral motifs. The women even wear multi-coloured natural blooming flowers in their hair in order to further accessorise themselves when wearing traditional dress. The Bulgarian countryside is naturally adorned with varied endemic blossoms, including common chicory, kalanchoe and the common lilac, as well as geraniums and lilies, to name just a few. These apart from the Balkan Damask Rose, a flower that reflects the stunning visual beauty and ecological significance of Bulgaria's natural environment, especially appreciated in the world-famous Rose Valley, as well as in the Pirin and the Rila National Parks.
Goshe is a testimony to this innate inclination to live surrounded by flowers, and in the exhibition section dedicated to "nature", she showcases a good selection of some of her country's most beautiful blooms in a variety of still-life paintings. However, here in Malta, Goshe is painfully conscious of the fact that one has to rely on enjoying flowers which are infrequently endemic and restrained by the physical boundaries of vases and containers, rather than basking in the wide and open natural habitat. Her floral paintings are a festival of intensely colourful, differently shaped blooms, all amassed together in glorious bouquets that radiate positivity and joy. She admits that her bouquet paintings have attracted great favour among local art collectors, so that she keeps adding them to her portfolio.
All in all this is an interesting exhibition that does not fail to lift the spirits while drawing attention to the need of relishing that which is of traditional value. Goshe remains appreciative of Malta as she came to know it back when she landed here for the first time and, through this exhibition wants to further awaken the senses to the fact that rapid urbanisation is slowly gnawing away at that which makes Malta so unique. As she herself admits, her painterly observations are both an homage and a critique, born out of love and concern for the island's future. Through her eyes, viewers are invited to reflect on the impact of contemporary changes and to cherish the timeless beauty that defines Malta's identity.
She continues by saying that the section of her exhibition dedicated to heritage "is a call to remember, to preserve and to honour the legacy of Malta's past. It is a testament of my dedication to capturing the soul of an island at a crossroads, offering a glimpse of a Malta that, though changing, remains deeply etched in the hearts of its people".
On the other hand, through her collection dedicated to nature, she urges the viewer "to reflect on our environmental choices and their long-term implications. Through powerful imagery and thoughtful themes, these paintings challenge us to re-imagine our relationship with nature and to seek out ways to preserve its beauty, even as our world continues to change".
Timeless Treasures: Heritage & Nature is being held at Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta' Qali Crafts Village, Attard until 23 November. Opening hours are Mondays to Fridays -7am to 2.30pm; Saturdays 9am to 12noon.
Photos: Martin Bonnici