Artist Bob Cardona unveils Back When, a new exhibition of figurative paintings at The Xara Palace in Mdina, presenting a deeply personal reflection on memory, people and everyday Maltese life.

The collection draws inspiration from the artist's recollections of childhood and earlier years in Malta, translating remembered moments into atmospheric contemporary works that balance nostalgia with modern expression.

Although born in Malta, Cardona spent over forty years living and working in England, where he established an international career in branding, design and visual communication. Originally trained in fine art, he eventually returned to painting in recent years, reconnecting with a more personal and expressive creative path.

The exhibition features a series of acrylic paintings that revisit ordinary scenes, familiar characters and fleeting human interactions. Rather than recreate specific moments literally, the works aim to capture the emotional texture of memory itself.

"My interest is in the atmosphere of remembered moments," explains the artist. "The small gestures, expressions and fragments of daily life that quietly stay with us over time."

Cardona's visual language combines elements of contemporary realism with looser semi-abstract passages, while his restrained retro-influenced palette creates a sense of warmth, distance and emotional ambiguity. The influence of a long career in visual design remains evident in the composition and storytelling within the work, yet the paintings retain an intimate and human quality.

Presented within the historic setting of The Xara Palace, Back When offers visitors a reflective journey through memory, identity and the enduring familiarity of Maltese culture and everyday life. The exhibition will run until 16 July.