Local artist Michelle Gialanze, known as Mixa, is presenting her latest collection of artworks in the exhibition Made by Earth at Gemelli Art Gallery this month.

The artist says her paintings represent “a dialogue between human hands and the quiet resilience of natural materials”.

The artworks are composed of pigments drawn from soil and plant, says the artist, explaining that “the paintings tell the story of a fleeting moment, as if the earth itself has agreed to participate in memory – though never to hold it forever.”

She posits that art crafted from natural materials feels closer to us, “perhaps because it carries something of the ephemeral world it comes from”.

“There is an impermanence in mud and crushed petals that reminds us of our own fragile choreography with time.

“As we stand before these pieces, we are reminded of this: the inevitability of erosion, the graceful disintegration of things.

<em>The return of flowers</em>

The return of flowers

<em>Traces of nature’s creation</em>

Traces of nature’s creation

<em>Transient reflections of earth</em>

Transient reflections of earth

“Here, the natural materials take centre stage. The darkness of the earth pulses with a richness we know from walking barefoot on the soil and earth.

“The greens are less the emerald of synthetic dyes, more the deep hum of moss after rain, a colour alive with water and growth. The occasional flashes of gold, of rust, remind us of something elemental – a mineral glittering for a moment before the dust reclaims it,” she says.

The exhibition Made by Earth asks viewers to rethink the purpose of art, challenging the notion that it must outlive its creator, that it must strive for eternity.

The exhibition will run from December 6 to 21 at Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, and is sponsored by M.Demajo Wines and Spirits.

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