Sixteen artists have come together in a collective exhibition that memorialises what was lost and longed for during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Unmasked, currently on at Gallery 23 in Attard, is a varied and vibrant collection of works that ranges from abstracted interpretations of the pandemic’s impact to literal scenes of forfeited normalcy.

Becoming by Elena Degenhardt

Contributing to the show are Alex Dalli, Andrew Borg, Alexia Coppini, Andrew Smith, Arja Nukarinen Callus, Catherine Cavallo, Celia Borg Cardona, Debbie Bonello, Francesca Balzan, Elena Degenhardt, Henry Falzon, Jeni Caruana, Karl Froman, Marisa Attard, Nick Inguanez and Sarah Calleja.

Isolation by Andrew Borg

Each artist was invited to freely interpret themes related to the pandemic and its associated restrictions. 

“We were all asked to isolate, empty streets and eerily empty cities,” one of the artists, Andrew Borg, recounts as he describes one of his paintings on display. 

“Yet, through this isolation, those who made it outside gained a bigger sense of space, a selfish taste of enjoying the outside in a solitary way. Big spaces but introspective thoughts.”

Fellow artist Elena Degenhardt commented: “I think this pandemic made many of us re-evaluate some things in our lives, including our relationships. Lockdowns and quarantines might have kept us close to some people while separating us from the others. They might have made us realise some things about our relationships we did not know before”.

From left, works by Karl Froman, Andrew Smith, Sarah Calleja and another two by Andrew Smith

Unmasked explores these and many other themes through sculpture, paintings and iPad drawings among other mediums. 

The Crowds We Crave by Celia Borg Cardona

In bringing these visual interpretations together in one space, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on everything that was missed during the past year-and-a-half and perhaps consider what might have been gained.

Unmasked runs until November 7. Follow the Gallery 23 Facebook page and website, www.gallery23malta.com, for updates on opening hours. The gallery also opens by appointment. All of the exhibited works can be also viewed on the gallery website.

Sculpture by Francesca Balzan