Richard Saliba presents new works in solo exhibition

Reflections of Tranquillity, a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Richard Saliba, is currently on view at the Palm Court Lounge at The Phoenicia Malta throughout the month of February.

Curated by Charlene Vella, the exhibition brings together a focused selection of oil landscapes that reaffirm Saliba’s long-standing engagement with the Maltese environment and his disciplined exploration of light and space.

Born in Malta in 1943, Saliba studied at the Government School of Art under Esprit Barthet, Vincent Apap and George Borg.

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He later pursued further studies in Italy at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Perugia and the Istituto Statale d’Arte in Urbino.

These formative experiences shaped a practice grounded in strong draftsmanship and tonal sensitivity.

Over more than five decades, Saliba has exhibited extensively in Malta and abroad. His work forms part of significant public and private collections, including Malta’s national collection and the Cathedral Museum in Mdina.

The paintings presented in Reflections of Tranquillity concentrate on rural views and open landscapes. Saliba positions the viewer at the edge of fields or gently rising terrain, structuring the compositions through horizontal bands of colour and carefully modulated tonal shifts.

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Ochres, olive greens and muted blues dominate the canvases, layered with measured brushwork that builds depth without excess detail. The emphasis is on spatial clarity and atmosphere rather than anecdotal description.

While rooted in direct observation, the works move between representation and abstraction. Architectural elements and agricultural markers are often reduced or implied, allowing expanses of colour to define the pictorial field. This approach gives the paintings a quiet formal strength. Structure, balance and chromatic harmony are prioritised, reinforcing Saliba’s consistent commitment to compositional discipline.

“Tranquillity for me is not merely the absence of motion but a presence of depth,” Saliba states. “Each landscape holds its own breath.”

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This perspective informs the exhibition as a whole, says curator Vella. The works do not seek dramatic contrast or narrative incident. Instead, they focus on sustained attention to light, tone and atmosphere. The Maltese countryside is treated as a site of reflection, filtered through decades of observation and technical refinement.

The choice of venue situates the exhibition within a central cultural setting. The Palm Court Lounge at The Phoenicia Malta provides a formal yet accessible environment, allowing visitors to encounter the paintings outside a traditional gallery context. The exhibition format encourages close viewing, with each canvas presented as an individual study in balance and restraint.

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The curator’s selection underscores the continuity within Saliba’s practice while highlighting recent developments in surface treatment and tonal compression. The paintings reveal an artist still engaged with refining his language, reducing forms to their essential relationships and exploring the interplay between solidity and atmosphere.

This latest body of work confirms Saliba’s position within Maltese art as a painter of sustained focus and consistency. By returning repeatedly to the landscape, he continues to test its formal possibilities, presenting familiar terrain through measured colour, controlled structure and an enduring attention to light.

Reflections of Tranquillity runs until March 1 and is open to the public.