The issue of migration dominates the headlines, yet it is hard to follow, according to local artist Moira Cutajar.

Turning our backs to the harsh realities of global migration is what most of us, unfortunately, tend to do, says Moira Cutajar.

Moira Cutajar

The woman with a strong passion for art believes that art can make people more aware of the harsh realities of global displacement. It is for this reason that she set about creating a series of paintings highlighting the plight of migrants in the Mediterranean.

“My main intention behind this recent set of paintings is to depict the dramatic aspects of migration and the terrible suffering it brings with it,” the artist says. 

Three of the paintings in the series depict scenes of crowded boats, bursting with desperate migrants crossing the Mediterranean in search of a better and safer life. 

The other pieces depict faces of children, each representing people that are deeply affected by the crisis in the Mediterranean, such as the Kurds, Syrians and Africans. 

“I purposely depicted children as I wanted to bring out their expressions of innocence. The sad thing is that it’s not just children that are innocent in all this but, in many cases, adults are too,” Ms Cutajar adds. 

Through her art, she would like to convey a specific message and draw attention to it. 

“My aim is to portray the fact that, behind this tragedy, there exist real people who are suffering and experiencing a heartbreaking reality. 

“Many might not exactly consider these paintings to be uplifting pieces of art, but they nonetheless reflect the sad spirit of the times,” she says.

“Most days, both the local and foreign media are rife with scenes of helpless migrants fleeing their countries. 

“Millions of desperate people have been forcibly displaced from their homes – it is so hard to wrap your head around such numbers. Every day we witness the drowning of migrants in the Mediterranean is a sad day, not just for Malta, but for the entire world.”

Ms Cutajar strongly believes that art has the power to generate public debate and change public opinion.

“I’d like my paintings to make space for those voices that are generally suppressed by politics. Art is considered by many to be a language, one that enables us to talk and to listen to voices other than our own,” she notes. 

“I hope to think that art can give migrant voices a means of being heard in an otherwise cruel, and ultimately unsympathetic, world. I want to show – through my paintings – that people from all over the world share a language that goes beyond the borders of the world we live in.”

The Sunday Times of Malta art critic Joe Agius praised the artist’s works.

“There is a quality in each of Moira’s migrant-themed pieces,” he said. 

“Her theme is very contemporary. There is a freshness in the way she treats what is today a very sad story for humankind. 

“Moira’s portraits abound with universal qualities where the emotion embraces the viewer before the identity of the subject. Each piece deserves to be exhibited.”

About the artist 

Moira Cutajar has a strong passion for painting portraits. She particularly enjoys the challenge of portraying the character, mood and emotions of her subjects on canvas.