Christina Darmanin's latest exhibition of paintings, "Love & Light" was launched and curated by herself, last Friday. It is taking place at Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta' Qali Crafts Village. Christina, presented her speech in a Gallery which runs on two floors.  Many guests turned up, some staying outdoors. Yes, it was full house last Friday and a very animated evening.  There was also an enticing display of food.

What inspired this colourful exhibition? In her opening speech Christina said: "Being  in the sunshine is what inspired these paintings. Last year was interesting and challenging. There was loss, pain... life can be really hard. We all suffer difficulties sooner or later but there is a light that never goes out. God's light will shine even when all else fades. 

I created this collection because I was comforted by the light of the sun rising. In the same way we have the daily light of God's Word. 

During those difficult times I would sit in the sun watching the light sparkle and flicker and reflect on the Word of God from Scripture.

I found it restorative, elevating and inspiring to have spiritual food that not only was a solution to my problem, to my pain but changed my heart in the process.

How beautiful to know that when we go through deep waters He is going to be with us: a Shepherd who will guide us to still waters. 

People hurt us, reject us...  some experiences are traumatic and even disturbing and we cannot change them but we must never forget that we have a friend, a Shepherd.  I felt guided and restored. 

I wish to share how He changes the heart before He changes the way we deal with a situation. He turns the pain and the broken into treasures; darkness to light. Let us, too, be a lighthouse, a love language.

Another inspiration was the Japanese art of Kintsugi where broken pottery is fixed with gold by mending the areas of breakage with urushi lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. I am also influenced by my mother Sandrina's use of gold in her art practice and designs. 

Each piece here has a symbolic meaning of my time in Malta and a reflection of the revelation I have received from reading the Word in Scripture and finding a firm foundation: a light that never goes out. There is always Light like the Sun in the beauty of nature. 

The conceptual idea of 'eating the sun' came from experiencing how difficult it can be to forgive.  Sometimes 'eating the sun' is about enduring the pain. It is hard but it's possible with faith and "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen". Hebrews 11:1 

I hope my collection inspires you and I hope that when you are struggling you can remember Love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8."

That was an inspiring start to Christina's exhibition.

Rudyard Kipling vainly exhorted us: "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same."  Not easy dear Rudyard the idealist. How difficult it must have been for you to first have to face the death of your daughter and then of your son in WWI.

Through this exhibition Christina is exhorting us not to lose hope even when our lives take a difficult turn, when all seems lost, when perhaps we are struggling through emotional or physical pain. She encourages us to turn to the Holy Scriptures. In her opening speech she quoted the Bible several times.

I  found her words, her philosophy encouraging. It is comforting to know there are people like her who see so much that is positive in today's turbulent world of greed, crime, war.

She reminds us that belief is the greatest weapon against depression.

She has created a dreamlike world. Paintings bejewelled with bright colours, some with a touch of gold. She has charmed us with her paintings, leaving us mesmerized and lifting our spirit.

Perhaps her philosophy is not unlike that of her grandfather Richard's who likes to quote Tennessee Williams: "I don't want reality, I want magic," and Jorge Luis Borges: "my business is to weave dreams."

In many ways the paintings are an attractive escape from the problems of the modern world.

The show is a pleasurable glimpse into what a young person is thinking.

I love the major Victorian artist with the lyrical name Sir Lawrence Alma -Tadema who reflected his personal motto "as the sun colours flowers so art colours life." Christina's is certainly one exhibition which colours life. It must have been cathartic for her too.

Love & Light is open at Gemelli Art Gallery until 31 January.