A picture book by Miriam Galea titled Ors (bear) published by Kotba Calleja is a modern fairytale about an unlikely encounter between a doleful bear and a ghostlike figure as they follow each other through town and forest, sensing their common malaise.

This illustrated book, perfect for adult audiences but enjoyable by all ages, is full of brooding yet whimsical artworks rendered in pencil, gouache, acrylic, charcoal and chalk, accompanying the concise yet poetic narration.

As the reader is taken through lush landscapes and bustling city streets, the book explores the increasingly dystopian nature of today’s relationships, isolation, melancholy and the need for connection.

The book explores the increasingly dystopian nature of today’s relationships, isolation, melancholy and the need for connection.

“Ors wasn’t created in the conventional, linear way of writing a text and then illustrating it,” says Galea, speaking to Times of Malta.

“The way that I work involves an automatic process of creating images and text, exorcising my thoughts and exploring different techniques and text which I later evaluate and assemble in a curated way, building a book that is never really planned beforehand but is more a result of an artistic, semi-conscious brainstorming of sorts.” 

The writer and artist says Ors speaks of the feelings of isolation and anonymity often present in urban settings and increasingly cynical modern-day relationships.

“The aimlessness of the characters wandering through town and forest reflects the ambiguity and hopelessness surrounding today’s notion of human relations. Much like Rihanna’s song, We found love in a hopeless place, the two characters manage to establish an undefinable connection despite their common jadedness,” she continues.

While Ors is designed with adult readers in mind, its universal themes of longing, companionship and existential melancholy resonate with readers of all ages.

The minimal yet poetic text invites a reserved introspection, giving the book a dry yet resonant tone apt for contemporary lifestyles and leaving space for the illustrations to inspire the reader’s imagination.

The two characters manage to establish an undefinable connection despite their common jadedness.

Ors was featured in the exhibition From Illustration to Book at the Malta Book Festival and features in the Malta Community of Illustrators Annual.

Galea is currently also participating in the collective exhibition The Assembly at R Gallery in Sliema, on show till December 29.

Ors is available for purchase on the Kotba Calleja website kotbacalleja.net and from Valletta Contemporary, Galea’s Art Supplies, The Eclecticist and Il-Lokal. For more information and to view select illustrations, visit miriamgalea.com or follow the Instagram account @galeamiriamart and @kotba_calleja.