A cross-pollination of ideas is what characterises Art Metaphor, an exhibition that is currently running at the Malta Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 and which was inaugurated on November 27 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Tolerance and Coexistence and an esteemed member of the royal family, also in the presence of distinguished guests and Maltese expats at the Youth Hub in Abu Dhabi.

Having stemmed from the realisation by Malta’s Ambassador in the Emirates, Maria Camilleri Calleja, that the Maltese islands and the seven Emirates have a lot in common, the exhibition consists of a juxtaposition of paintings and sculpture by two artists from each of the countries in question.

‘Art Metaphor’ by Anna Galea

The 16 paintings exhibited are by one of Malta’s most renowned watercolourist, Anna Galea, while Emirati jewellery artist, sculptor and pro­duct designer Azza Al Qubaisi exhibited 10 steel sculptures.

With the main aim being to connect people through art, the two female artists sought to find similarities in their respective countries and culture that they could embody into unique art works, which were produced in tandem, and as a result of the conversations that Galea and Al Qubaisi held when they met in the Emirates.

Metaphor 4’ by Azza Al Qubaisi

Both artists have impressive portfolios and have been recognised for their respective talent, inventiveness and creativity. They have both received awards in relation to their art, have been published extensively and have exhibited widely across the continents.

Galea is better known for her large-scale watercolours and zoomed-in floral paintings while London-educated Al Qubaisi is a jewellery artist, sculptor and product designer, well known as the UAE’s first Emirati jewellery artist.

A juxtaposition of paintings and sculpture by two artists from each of the countries

Among the more memorable art works on display are Galea’s masterfully executed Seħer-il-Bies and Art Metaphor, the former representing a falcon that features on the emblem of the United Arab Emirates and which has a long association with the Maltese islands, dating back to the Middle Ages, including a link with Emperor Frede­rick II Stupor Mundi. Art Metaphor represents an egg that is laden with significance.

‘Seħer il-Bies’ by Anna Galea

It is a colourful egg that holds its contents but which goes beyond the confines of the painting that also has left a lot of space for the egg to dwell in, where the negative space is equally important, as is also the case with Al Qubaisi’s sculptures.

The egg is a universal symbol of nascence, of life and incorporated into this painting most poignantly by Galea and, thus, encapsulates the true meaning of this collection of art works.

‘Abaya’ by Azza Al Qubaisi

Eight of Al Qubaisi’s sculptures, loosely titled Metaphor, are, in fact, freestanding and can be seen in the round from different viewpoints. This naturally leaves a lot of room for interpretation. In fact, Al Qubaisi has specifically created her sculptures to be interactive and is encouraging visitors to manoeuvre around them in order to view them from several angles.

Executed in steel that is intentionally rusted to add more interest to their surface by reflecting light off of them, the sculptures are largely non-representational but stem from the natural world.

‘Pearls of the Emirate’ by Anna Galea

Two of the sculptures refer to pearls, an association that Galea also alludes to in her paintings because of the reference to Malta as the pearl of the Mediterranean and a reference to the pearling history in the Emirates.

A key instance that clearly displays how the two artists worked in tandem are two of Galea’s paintings that are dedicated to the carob and dates respectively, which were reworked into two large-scale sculptures by Al Qubaisi that represent another aspect of Maltese and Emirati culture: the għonnella and the abaya.

The two artists weaved their cultures and histories in an innovative way

The carob leaf features on Al Qubaisi’s għonnella while the date fruit features on the abaya, both lending a lace-like quality to the sculptures.

‘Għonnella’ by Azza Al Qubaisi

These sculptures were intended for people to stand in and experience at first hand and effectively emphasise the similarities between the two countries.

While having worked seamlessly together, the two artists have intentionally weaved their cultures and histories in an innovative way that effortlessly connects Malta with the Emirates in more ways than one and which achieves its aim in fostering a dialogue between the two nations and more.

‘Ħarrub’ by Anna Galea

Art Metaphor was first inaugurated at the Youth Hub in Abu Dhabi, and is now viewable at the Dubai Expo 2020 until November 20 and after that at Malta’s Embassy in the UAE, by appointment.

The exhibition was made possible with the support of the Cultural Diplomacy Fund of Malta’s Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs as well as Malta Enterprise.

‘Metaphor 1’ by Azza Al Qubaisi