In a new exhibition, Paradise Lost, at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta, curated by Maria Galea, Jade Zammit confronts the fragility of paradises – both real and imagined – that are perpetually “hanging by a thread”.

It’s an exploratory journey inspired by the 17th-century Gobelin tapestries in Valletta’s Grand Master’s Palace, which Zammit has reinterpreted as romanticised portrayals of non-European culture.

With a contemporary take, she weaves together concerns around deterioration of both the natural environment and her own memories of the lost landscapes of her Maltese childhood. Having just returned from travelling in Australia prior to the pandemic, professional architect Zammit then worked for two years in the Grand Master’s Palace.  “That was when I first experienced the tapestry room,” she explains.

A detail from one of the works in Paradise Lost.

“It’s magnificent. When the shutters are open and light seeps through, the works look beautiful especially considering they were created so many years ago. Their large scale makes you feel very small standing among them.”

At the same time, Zammit was reading the novel The Famished Road by Nigerian-born British author Ben Okri, saying his writing explores post-colonial realities and vividly describes a surreal mix of the indigenous and the modern. Although the book describes colonial Africa and the tapestries depict the paradise that the Europeans found when they reached South America, Zammit said that teaming the narratives together seemed to make sense.

“One told of forests being destroyed to make way for development, while the other depicted the kind of environmental paradise that was being lost.  Taken together, they inspired my work for this exhibition,” she said.

Paradise Lost is Jade’s first solo show, and it’s an ambitious undertaking, two-and-a-half years in preparation. Perhaps surprisingly, given the meticulously precise pen-and-ink drafting required for her architectural practice, the flowing brush strokes are intuitive and expressive.

Jade Zammit

The paintings, in acrylics, oils and pastels, some of which include embroidered elements, are bursting with bright colours: the blue of the sky, vibrant lush greens and glorious earthy oranges, red and pinks that evoke the bright light of summer and the warmth of the sun. And with the largest a giant 1.5m x 2.3m, it’s an impressive collection.

While reflecting the environmental abundance of South American flora and fauna depicted in the tapestries, these works are Zammit’s personal interpretation of a rich paradise, underpinned by her memories, and a nostalgia for the Malta she experienced as a child in the 1990s and early 2000s.

I hope to make people think and to question their view of the natural environment- Jade Zammit

The works include abundant palm trees and incorporate many additional botanical references from Jade’s trips to Australia, Cuba and other tropical environments. While some locations are remembered, others are completely imaginary.

The paintings, in acrylics, oils and pastels, some of which include embroidered elements, are bursting with bright colours.

“Growing up, I spent lots of time in gardens and at the sea playing with my sisters and our neighbours. These were carefree times when we’d sit at the edge, poking the water’s surface, looking for a sliver of gold or pairs of bulging eyes hiding beneath the lilies, our laughter filling the air. And around us was the ever-present hum of the bees, the flutter of wings, the scent of marigolds and the rustle of leaves, swaying in a gentle breeze.”

The collection includes both abstract and figurative works which represent both paradise and its destruction, hung shoulder to shoulder. Some are harmonious, Utopian and dreamlike, others more chaotic and gently haunting. The figures are timeless nudes, raw and untouched, in poses framed by luxuriant foliage and reminiscent of Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian series, another source of inspiration for Zammit.

The artist at work.

Gauguin’s colours and flattened forms tell of the magical simplicity of an island life, yet unsettling questions lurk at the edges of his exotic visions. Similarly, Paradise Lost both reflects and questions the multifaceted nature of paradise itself – a concept that is as fragile as it is alluring.

“How do these paradises unravel over time? What remains when the thread finally snaps, and the utopian visions dissolve into disillusionment?” asks Galea, the curator.

“Zammit’s work delves into the discomfort associated with the loss of the natural world, a paradise that, like the tapestries she references, is both beautiful and precarious. Through an almost imaginary perspective, she evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, compelling us to reflect on the fragility of both personal and collective histories.

“During my research process, I was saddened that all or most of the places I remembered from childhood – like the little beach of Qortin in Armier – have changed dramatically,” adds Zammit, “Their beauty has been completely destroyed. 

The artist weaves together concerns around deterioration, both of nature and her memories of Malta’s lost landscapes.

“It makes me angry that our environment has changed so drastically in such a short time. I hope to make people think and to question their view of the natural environment and how it has declined, in Malta in particular.  If we question what paradise means to us, and its importance, then it will perhaps help us to preserve what is left.”

The exhibition runs until October 24. It was produced by Marie Gallery 5 with sponsorship from Vee Gee Bee, R Lautier, Optika Opticians, SSL Scaffolding, Urban Bee Wines and Fine Foods and BMW.