Holy Week traditions take shape through small acts of devotion. Throughout Malta, people from different communities and places come together in a single sacred space, revealing the collective effort that sustains them.

Riflessjonijiet Eterni (Eternal Reflections), held at Creative Expressions Art Gallery and curated by Kris Debono, brings together a crafted handmade collection of holy statues assembled over more than 20 years by Ganni Axisa, alongside paintings centred on Good Friday by a collective of artists, as well as processional Roman costumes traditionally worn during this period.

The exhibition reflects Maltese identity across multiple art forms. The statues by Michael and Alfred Camilleri Cauchi draw on the visual language of large-scale processional works found across Malta. In parallel, there is also the inclusion of statues that resonate with similar traditions abroad, particularly in Australia, such as those depicting the Ecce Homo and Christ before Pilate. Notably, an original design for Christ on the Holy Sepulchre departs from traditional convention, and instead of the recumbent figure enclosed within a bier, Christ is set upon a grey stone tomb, with the large sealing rock placed alongside it. For a quiet moment, this replaces the Baroque grandness with a grounding sense of contemplation.

A display of works like this is not merely about the central works but about the surrounding environment and the atmosphere every element communicates. Numerous hands across Malta

contributed to this, from the church's overall structure, which echoes that of the parish church of Zejtun, including its wooden framework, carefully crafted fabrics, and ornate capitals, to the ganutell and Mdina glass globes surrounding the statues, the paintings of the Via Sacra, and the various Passion symbols, among others. This collaborative effort and personal investment imbue the work with a heightened sense of sacredness.

The exhibition encompasses art across multiple disciplines, uniting craft, context, and sacred histories. In doing so, it offers contemporary reflection on the Holy Passion while celebrating Maltese devotional practices and the living traditions of Holy Week.

Riflessjonijiet Eterni (Eternal Reflections) is open to the public until 5 April at Creative Expressions Art Gallery, Zejtun