Veronica Lee, a 45-year-old artist and tattooist, was born in Canada to Maltese parents and moved to Malta at the age of eight. Creativity was a constant presence in her childhood, as she grew up in a family-run dolceria and began decorating cakes at an early age. Sketching flowers, eyes, and women's faces became a daily habit, nurtured further through art studies at school.

After leaving education, however, Lee drifted away from her artistic side, moving through a series of industries without ever feeling fulfilled. In her early 30s, she began to question her direction in life. A pivotal turning point came with a move to Bangkok, where she studied tattooing. Those months rekindled her creative drive, making a return to corporate life impossible. Shortly afterwards, she opened her own tattoo studio in Mosta, Veronica Lee Tattoo, which she has now been running for more than 11 years. Tattooing, she explains, became a catalyst for her artistic growth, keeping her curious and open to new techniques and mediums.

The Covid years marked another transformation. Returning to painting, Lee began to sell her work, gaining confidence and a sense of artistic readiness. A chance encounter with a sample of OSB wood in a friend's workshop proved to be decisive. Drawn to its imperfections and discoloration, she began experimenting, sketching a woman's face on one piece. The process soon became unstoppable, with painting after painting flowing out of her.

This experimentation culminated in her latest exhibition, Raw. For Lee, the material itself carries profound meaning. The patchwork nature of the wood reflects the human condition - pieced together by culture, society, family, and personal history. The artist sees it as a metaphor for authenticity, resilience, and the scars that shape each individual. Her works bring out the wood's natural texture, integrating it into the imagery so that each piece becomes both unique and whole.

"Tattooing may have been the gateway," Lee notes, "but painting on OSB wood has become my soul's language."

'Raw' is currently running at Bizzilla Art Space, Triq il-Mall, Floriana, until 26 September. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.