Silvio John Camilleri’s first solo exhibition Ħarbaħolma – Images of a Wistful Escape is open at Palazzo de Piro, Mdina, until February 28.
The exhibition focuses on different landscape interpretations by the artist, where the technique varies from vigorous renditions with prominent brushstroke marks to more traditionally-inspired works.
Camilleri uses various media such as acrylics and inks, in addition to pencils and ordinary ballpoint pens which he considers as the most practical media to sketch while ‘on the go’.
Commenting on his works, the artist said: “My immediate surroundings catch my interest and I find that their interpretation helps in assimilating the mundane environment while creating a personal visual diary.
“This series of works started with some smaller-sized ones which were meant as relatively quick interpretations, while pondering about the influence which our surroundings exert on our daily life. Probably, there is no particular reason why I chose to focus on the particular locations, other than being somewhat familiar with them.
“Despite that I consider them as ordinary settings, these landscapes are strikingly different from the urban context which we are persistently surrounded by. In this sense, such works may be interpreted as escapist – hence the title of the exhibition. Using high-sounding terminology one may possibly label this series of works as a form of liberation or a catharsis from contemporary routine.”
Apart from the reminiscences of the locations themselves, the artists says that these works conjure up memories of the process of their execution. Some of them were painted in a relatively short time while others entailed multiple sessions of refinements or reworkings.
“The act of laying brushstrokes on canvas while consciously or subconsciously thinking about the resulting imagery may be considered as a form of meditation, and it is also this labour of love which I would like to share with the viewer,” Mr Camilleri says.
Ħarbaħolma – Images of a Wistful Escape is on at Palazzo de Piro, Mdina, until February 28. It is being curated by art historian Christian Attard. For more details, visit https://palazzodepiro.com.
Dingli from Sta Katarina, Rabat, by Silvio John Camilleri