A collaborative exhibition bringing together three artists, each known for their unique styles, is being held at Gallery 23 in Balzan.
In Land & Sea, Christopher Saliba, Marisa Attard and Henry Falzon display a variety of vibrant colours and perspectives with a good dose of detail and humour, while showing an appreciation of the land and seascapes across the Maltese islands.
Saliba’s expressionist paintings suggest rather than describe landscape components and perspectives. He prefers to be bold in scale and experiments with materials that allow him to create works that are rich in texture and gestural application of brushwork. As in previous works, red dominates his paintings, giving the apparent idyllic and timeless landscapes a sense of drama and urgency.
Socks & Sandals by Marisa AttardMeanwhile, Attard’s quirky characters can be found between land and sea, occupying and inhabiting the space around them, sprawled on beaches, strolling along, defying gravity and floating up and away. The artist is a people-watcher and likes to focus more on people than landscapes. In fact, her landscapes tend to be abstracted, minimalistic or completely omitted. She uses pen, ink, watercolour or acrylic and collage. Found objects, lacy bits, patterned paper and textured skies are used to great effect, inviting the viewer to come up close to the painting for a proper look.
Falzon is known for his pastel and oil-on-canvas landscapes, often depicting overhead views of captured moments. Here he shows a special calling for the sea, with figures populating and enforcing moments that deserve capturing.
The exhibition opened on April 14 and runs until April 26. Opening hours: Wednesdays from 6.30 to 8pm and Sundays from 11am to 12.30pm. One can also visit by appointment on 9942 8272 or by e-mailing info@ gallery23malta.com.
Boy on the Beach by Henry Falzon