Gallery 23 in Balzan has opened its 2025 season with Land and Sea, an exhibition that feels less like a formal unveiling and more like a reunion of kindred spirits. These gatherings have become a cherished ritual - a place where art lovers, friends, and fellow creatives come together to share not only the work on the walls, but stories, laughter, and the answer to "So where did you go this summer to avoid the heat?"

At the heart of it all are gallerists Alexia and Rachel, whose passion and grace shape every detail of the experience. Both mothers and professionals - Alexia is also an architect - they curate with care, creating a space where art and life flow seamlessly into one another.

This year's exhibition brings together three artists whose visions of land and sea are as distinct as they are resonant. I had the pleasure of speaking with each of them about their work.

Here is Henry Borg Barthet:
"When I paint I do not want the painting to be just an illustration, I want to show the force of the wind, the power of the waves, the peace of calm waters. Water is transparent but it reflects the sky, the bottom of the sea, the sails reflecting in the water.  I do not think I ever painted the sea in the same colours.  Every time there is a different reflection, that is what fascinates me.

My paintings are realistic, that is because of my background as a draughtsman; that, and the result of me studying art under my uncle Esprit Barthet, a colourist, resulted in the combination of realism and the use of colour in my paintings.  I am also influenced by the boldness and colours of Catherine Cavallo, who happens to be married to my cousin, another artist Simon Barthet.

My love of sailing craft of all sorts and of sailing shows in my paintings. Inspiration comes from living on an island and events like the Rolex Middle Sea Race which provided many of the subjects of my paintings."

Adrian Camilleri, whose evocative paintings, are also exhibited says:

"The sea has always fascinated me - its moods, its power, its silence. In this collection, I have tried to capture the many faces of the ocean, from calm and reflective, to wild and untamed. Boats often appear in my work as symbols of human endurance, fragile yet resilient against the vastness of nature.

Some of these paintings show the sea at peace: soft horizons, gentle waves, and skies washed with light. Others are filled with movement and tension; dark clouds gathering, waves crashing, the boats caught in moments of struggle. I use shifts in colour and brushstrokes to express these contrasts. The calm and the chaos, the stillness and the storm.

Through these works, I hope to share my own sense of awe for the sea not just as a place, but as a living force that mirrors our emotions, our fears, and our hopes. ''Seldom does a day go by when I do not have the desire to paint.''

After several years in which he never took up a pencil or brush, Adrian began to paint again after he got married: ''That seems to have unlocked my inspiration'.'

He is a self-taught painter, although naturally he has been inspired and influenced by the work of other artists namely

 Joseph Zbucvic, David Curtis, and Nita Engle.

Many of his paintings are diffused with what is clearly a winter light which shapes his work.

"In my paintings I try to arrest time by capturing a beautiful moment to somehow make it live on. At times we do not seem to realize how precious is the period we are allotted on this earth and we take things for granted. I appreciate this God-given talent for painting that I am lucky enough to have."

Jeni Caruana has been painting for many years and her paintings grace homes and other  places both here and in other lands. She comments: "I start my landscapes en plein air, working on the spot and absorbing the atmosphere and energy of the day... so in the painting of Ta'Cenc cliffs there are rain drops as the storm moved in, on the Dahlet Qorrot painting no doubt there is sand and salt, as I had a battle trying to keep the easel upright against the wind. 

Later I might do some work in the studio, editing or adding, but generally I like to leave the works to say what they will about my attempts to capture the essence of what stirs me to paint.

Sometimes I go out, set everything up and nothing happens, other times I can't keep up with myself. 

Photographs don't move me, so I have to get out there and leave it to the whims of creativity!"

Land and Sea is more than a theme - it's a meditation on movement, memory, and the elemental forces that shape us. Whether through the bold realism of Henry Borg Barthet, the emotional tides of Adrian Camilleri, or the atmospheric immediacy of Jeni Caruana, this exhibition invites us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the world around us.

Visitors are warmly encouraged to experience the works in person during the open days at Gallery 23, Idmejda Street, Balzan - or to arrange a private viewing for a more intimate encounter with these evocative pieces.

For details, visit www.gallery23malta.com, call 9942 8272, or email [email protected]. Open days: Wednesdays 6-8pm and Sundays 10.30am-1pm.

www.gallery23malta.com