Joseph Paul Cassar writes:
Artist Philip Chircop, a key figure of abstract art in Malta, passed on peacefully on August 15 on the feast of the Assumption.
The news shocked and saddened deeply all those who knew him closely. Just two weeks before, we had met Philip and Yolanda for dinner and had good laughs. We caught up personally, with current events and news from the art world. He also gave me an appointment to visit his studio to discuss his latest creations. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Since his years at the Malta Government School of Art in Valletta in 1969, he felt a natural urge to embark on a personal journey of discovery that dealt with the world of colour, shape, form, rhythm and space. His quest was intuitive and not restricted to the imitation of objective reality.
In 2009 and 2010 I had the opportunity to work closely with Philip when I researched his work, which became manifest in a book entitled Philip Chircop: Abstract Expressions (Progress Press, 2010). This was a time when I got to know the artist more closely, particularly his search for freedom of expression and his imaginative responses to the threatening void of an empty canvas.
Philip Chircop pioneered abstract expression in Malta at a time when the island favoured more traditional and conservative views. Slowly but surely, quietly and without pomp, he continued working in what he believed: a visual language that is self-reflective, compelling us to discover that which has never been seen before.
He had a successful career as a dedicated teacher as well as an artist who exhibited his works with the Artists’ Guild in New York (1970), Woodstock Gallery, London (1977), Lanester, Brittany (1997) besides the many local exhibitions, including at the Manoel Theatre (2002), the Bank of Valletta retrospective in Santa Venera (2006) and at St James Cavalier (2010).
Philip had plans to hold an exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta. Now one hopes that in the near future a fitting commemorative exhibition will take place in his honour.
Condolences to all his family.
Farewell Philip! Your art lives on!