Valentine’s Day is defined by the colour red, which symbolises passion in all its nuances and contexts.
The image of an enterprising but almost pestilent winged putto-like Cupid is a staple in pop iconography associated with this feast that celebrates romantic love.
Cupid pierces red tumescent hearts with arrows from his bow, thus inflicting love on his unwitting victims.
Classical mythology has provided the narrative and imagery that are part and parcel of February 14, which makes it a day less ordinary for lovers all over the world.
The Heart in our Art is a recurrent Valentine’s Day segment.
This year, six contemporary Maltese artists give their take on the feast of love, via one example of their art, and discuss in a few words the concept underlying the chosen work.
Die for Love by Alexandra AquilinaDie for Love – Alexandra Aquilina
Die for Love is a perspex cross that lights up with bold neon colours, questioning our fascination with the romanticisation of self-sacrifice. The title nods to the idea that dying for love is the ultimate proof of devotion, a concept rooted in Christian theology and celebrated in pop culture.
The cross – long associated with sacrifice – anchors this message while teasing our collective obsession with drama. From Jesus’s crucifixion, hailed as the ultimate act of love, to the star-crossed deaths of Romeo and Juliet, we’ve been told that love is only real if it hurts. But when we step back, the cracks in this narrative become clear. Is dying truly the ultimate proof of love – or simply the easiest way out, with the greatest impact because of its finality?
Living for love, on the other hand, is far harder. It’s messy and unglamorous – it’s about growth, communication, forgiveness, and empathy. These acts of love might lack the dramatic allure of sacrifice, but they’re infinitely more meaningful.
This piece highlights how these notions of devotion can be used to manipulate. Religious teachings promote unconditional love while dangling eternal damnation as a consequence of failure. Similarly, in abusive relationships, narcissistic partners may use threats of harm to coerce loyalty, twisting love into a tool of manipulation. When we glorify death as the ultimate romantic gesture, what are we really saying about how we value life and connection?
Ultimately, Die for Love invites us to rethink what love can be. Instead of glorifying sacrifice, perhaps it’s time to celebrate the everyday acts of care, resilience and effort that truly define it.
Carcass by Vince BriffaCarcass – Vince Briffa
My painting Carcass (2023) references Charles Baudelaire’s poem A Carcass (1857), which uses a decomposing animal to meditate on mortality, love and fleeting beauty. The poet’s unflinching study of decay serves as a metaphor for how love disrupts our illusions of permanence and perfection.
The painting’s layers mirror the poem’s contrast between romantic language and visceral decomposition. Like the flies and larvae that animate the corpse with new life, love infests our being, transforming us through its consuming presence. Both works remind us that our beloved ones will also decay, forcing us to confront our own mortality and imperfections.
Yet this disruption holds its own beauty. Just as Baudelaire finds meaning in decomposition, the painting’s disjointed layers represent love’s ability to break us open, making us vulnerable to decay while creating space for profound connection. Both works suggest that love’s power lies not in preserving beauty, but in finding significance within inevitable deterioration.
P-Chan by David DebonoP-Chan – David Debono
P-Chan was abused as a puppy. He and his siblings were found in such a horrible state that their story received substantial news coverage. My wife’s sister and her husband adopted P-Chan and gave him the love he needed. He loved them back tenfold.
Being part pharaoh hound and part Maltese hunting dog, he was a large slender dog; yet when I first met him, I was instructed not to move my hands too quickly as sudden movements would startle him. Something as simple as a hand gesture would cause him to fear being beaten.
I made this painting as a Christmas gift to my wife’s sister and her husband. They loved this dog immensely and cared for him until one day he passed away of old age. As my solo exhibition Unspoken Bonds was over, I needed a small break from painting, as the intensity I gave to the body of work I showcased had worn me out. This painting was a breath of fresh air and pure joy to make. Those who know me know that I rarely paint animals and it has been over a decade since I painted a dog.
Since the moment the idea came up, I had a clear vision of how the painting would look like. Painted in my usual oil paints on canvas, the head had to be in profile to resemble the emblem of ‘House Stark’ from Game of Thrones since the husband of my wife’s sister likes the show. His jolly roger dog tag also had to be there.
Since I knew the dog very well, I painted it fairly quickly – probably in a couple of sessions. I felt I had to make it more special, so I encouraged my four-year-old son to write the dog’s name with his crayon directly onto the canvas. This gave it more depth in the sense of sentimental value. Giving was always something I had at heart. Seeing people happy with my gift gives me more satisfaction than receiving.
I will love you forever by Anna GrimaI will love you forever – Anna Grima
Roar, lion of the heart, and tear me open.
As you tore through me, my soul rose, eager to join the expression of my reality. At that moment, the connection between love’s power and my hands moved my fingers – spontaneously carving the words: I will love you forever.
In love, I have come to perceive time and existence – as one continuous, harmonious state of being, knowing, and belonging.
We are living through a time of extraordinary transformation. On this journey toward realising the immense power within the consciousness of each human being, we come to understand that our capacity to love expands through our experiences. The very struggles that seem to obstruct us are, in fact, our greatest teachers.
I will love you forever is a dialogue in a language beyond words, a quiet exchange between the hearts and minds of those who love, spreading like a universe woven into the energy matrix of life. Love is the essence of all things, and just as the universe moves and grows, so do our hearts and minds. With each passing moment, our consciousness rises, and our understanding deepens.
That which cannot be seen is an invisible creative force, that shifts our perception of life and love. Yet, it is a painful truth that love does not reveal its true measure until the moment of parting, after which everything shifts into abstract thoughts and fractal feelings.
Jellaluddin Rumi offers this wisdom: “This is how you change when you go to the orchard where the heart opens: you become fragrance and the light that burning oil gives off, long strands of grieving hair, lion and at the same time gazelle. […] Bend like the limb of a peach tree. Tend to those who need help. Disappear three days with the moon. […] Don’t pray to be healed, or look for evidence of ‘some other world’. You are the soul and medicine for what wounds the soul.”
Mist by Tina MifsudMist – Tina Mifsud
Mist is a painting that explores the complexity of relationships. I compare them to rainforests – stunning and enchanting from a distance, but as you venture deeper, they reveal a chaotic, dark, and even dangerous side.
I created this work during a long-distance relationship, at a time when I felt both close to and disconnected from my partner. The title Mist plays on the word “miss”, reflecting the ache of separation while also capturing the hazy, layered emotions relationships often bring. Within the painting, I engraved sentimental messages, almost like hidden paths in a forest. These words felt deeply personal then, yet they now carry new meanings as I find myself in another long-distance relationship.
For me, Mist embodies the beauty of growth – how the same artwork can transform alongside its creator, teaching me lessons about patience, vulnerability, and connection. It reminds me that while relationships can be unpredictable and challenging, they’re also places of profound beauty and self-discovery.
A Study, 2014 by Darren TantiA Study, 2014 – Darren Tanti
This drawing, created in 2014, depicts a young, beautiful woman reclining on an armchair, her gaze nonchalant yet tinged with curiosity as she observes a human heart displayed on a Pyrex plate. The hyperrealistic detail captures the Maltese expression ‘Taqla’ qalbha u tagħthielek!’ – a phrase often used to describe individuals who are kind and loving.
At the time, I was 27 – a different version of myself. Though an adult, I had yet to experience the transformative events that would later shape me into the person and artist I am today. Looking back, I realise my understanding of love then was still quite romanticised and idealistic. The polished, composed aesthetic of this piece reflects that earlier mindset.
The precision and clarity in the artwork communicate a sense of control and idealism. The woman’s relaxed pose and contemplative expression capture a distilled, singular perspective on love – one of kindness and curiosity, untainted by the messiness of real-life experience.
The geometric halo framing her head adds an intriguing tension, perhaps hinting at broader complexities yet to be fully realised at the time.
Now, after 4,015 days of life experience, I see love in a very different light. Love, in its essence, is profoundly complex. It is challenging, muddy, joyful, serene, anxious, hopeful, nostalgic, painful, intoxicating, warm, responsible, reckless, uncontainable, giving, sharing, protective, dangerous – and so much more. A polished artwork, rendered from a single perspective, can never truly encompass its vastness.
Perhaps it’s time to revisit this artwork, this time with a heart that has matured through experience – a heart that embraces the messy, multifaceted and uncontainable nature of love.