I am thrilled to collaborate with tattoo artist Darryl Schembri and curate his debut art exhibition, Adrift in life, or whatever, which will be held at Bizzilla Art Space in Floriana.

As always, I'd like to start with a bit of background. Passionate about art from a young age, Darryl graduated from MCAST with a degree in digital media. At 22, he got his first tattoo, sparking a profound fascination with the art form. Over the past decade, he has established himself as a prominent tattoo artist.

And now, let's get into a little backstory about how I met Darryl and how I ended up curating his debut exhibition.

I met Darryl about five years ago when I visited his tattoo parlour for a tattoo, which led to more appointments over the years (80% of my tattoos are by him, and 45% of those were done in the last three months!). However, I never knew that he also created artworks beyond the flash designs for his tattoos.

Last October, I received a message from him asking for help - he wanted to do an art exhibition. At the time, I was drowning in three major projects, working almost 24/7. So, naturally, instead of admitting I was way too busy, I went to visit his studio the very next day - grasping at any excuse to procrastinate on my big deadlines.

Needless to say, I was in for quite a surprise. He had produced a large number of abstract artworks, many of which were genuinely impressive. He explained that, for the past month or so, he had been painting day and night. I tried to understand why. For Darryl, there wasn't an evident deeper reason behind these works - he said he was primarily drawn to aesthetics and that for him it was a way to deal with some life issues he was passing through.

I kept "nagging" him to focus on a theme, to explore topics that resonated with his experiences, and to jot down notes and ideas that made sense in the context of what he was going through. I encouraged him to shape his exhibition around a cohesive subject. He started complaining, and I was sure I'd never hear from him again.

Yet, from the very next day until now, he has been updating me on every single artwork, idea, and concept he thinks of (every day) - he even started writing down his thoughts. He also did some rather odd experiments, like putting artworks in the oven to try and speed up the drying process (it sort of worked, until he forgot one in the oven), along with other strange episodes. I believe that focusing on a theme marked a significant step in his artistic development, as he began experimenting and blending his dual identities: the tattooist, with a focus on figurative art, and the artist, drawn toward abstraction.

His works reflect his emotional landscape and personal struggles. He has been going through turbulent times - when life gets in the way - and from these experiences, he has created artworks that now, through extensive research, achieve a striking sense of harmony, underscoring the therapeutic impact of his artistic journey.

I feel that the abstract backgrounds, rich with freedom and raw emotion, mirror Schembri's mood and feelings. Meanwhile, the figurative elements reveal a precise execution, reflecting the tattooist within the artist - a style defined by intricate dots and delicate shading. It is fascinating how he approaches his paintings much like his tattoo work, even in the creative process itself: he first creates a design, applies it as a stencil over his abstract compositions, and then paints the figurative elements accordingly.

These artworks explore the struggles and resilience of human life, using symbols such as balanced stones, fraying ropes, and floating shapes to evoke the tension and uncertainty of challenging times.

Several of Schembri's works feature rocks. The first artwork that sparked the idea of merging his dotted figurative style with abstract backgrounds was, in fact, the only piece not set against an abstract backdrop. Titled The Weight of Existence, it depicts a meticulously detailed rock on a copper background, framed by an outer green expanse.

The second pivotal artwork was Uplifting Struggles, where Schembri applied an actual tattoo design of his own creation onto an abstract composition. The piece presents a surreal scene of a man holding two "rock balloons" suspended in mid-air and tied to a rope. After this experiment, Schembri decided not to use pre-existing tattoo designs in his paintings anymore. However, we agreed to exhibit this piece, as it, along with The Weight of Existence, was instrumental in triggering this new direction in his artistic exploration.

Other artworks continue the interplay between rocks and the human figure. The rocks symbolise life's burdens, presented in various ways. For instance, in The Weight of Being, a man appears to have conquered his struggles, reigning supreme atop a massive floating rock. In Balanced Struggles, Schembri offers a metaphor for finding solutions to life's challenges - numerous floating rocks hover at the top of the composition, while at the bottom, figures hold umbrellas, bracing themselves against this "rain" of rocks.

Additional works prominently featuring rocks include Balanced Chaos, where six stones are stacked in an impossibly delicate yet harmonious balance against a contrasting, rough, orange-toned abstract background. In Weight of Time, the rock transforms into a ticking clock, wrapped in a fraying rope that hangs by its last thread at the centre of the composition.

The only triptych in the exhibition, Adrift in Life, majestically captures an abstract rendition of an outwardly stellar, infinite cosmos. In the foreground, he portrays suspended rocks and ladders leading to nowhere or to everywhere. A quick side note about the exhibition title, as it ties closely to the abstract background of this piece. During one of my many studio visits, we were brainstorming ideas for the title when, all of a sudden, the song Adrift in Space, or Whatever by Electric President started playing. I immediately suggested using it as the title - or at least something along those lines. Darryl then proposed changing space to life, and the rest is history.

The artwork Untethered features a red rock floating at the centre of an abstract dark background. Unlike the other pieces, where precise dot shading dominates, this work conveys a sense of urgency in its execution. The shading is rendered with softer yet rawer lines, creating a striking contrast to his usual meticulous approach.

In the most recent works of this exhibition, Schembri began experimenting with string, introducing a tangible element to his compositions. Here, the rocks take on a physical presence, entangled in rope - perhaps symbolising how life's struggles can trap us in an invisible web. Yet, these works suggest that sometimes, all it takes is for someone to help us cut the strings. This theme is particularly evident in Web of Life and Holding On.

Last but not least, I want to highlight the sculptural installation that caused our artist numerous sleepless nights. It consists of 18 small square pieces, all forming part of a single abstract background. At the centre of the exhibition space, a minimalist sculptural work conceptually connects with these pieces, holding some missing elements from the main artwork. Perhaps the idea behind this work is that there are often ways out of complex situations, and sometimes, it helps to share the burden.

To conclude, these works invite viewers to reflect on their own challenges and find hope amid difficulties.

Spoiler alert: I thought I'd finally get a break from Darryl and his day-and-night messages after the opening of this exhibition - but he's already booked me for his next one. And, of course, it was impossible to say no, as it will explore one of my favorite themes in art history. Stay tuned!

Special thanks to Norman Mifsud for all his help with the exhibition's logistics, and to MSV Life for the use of Bizzilla Art Space.

The exhibition will run until 26 March, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm