An exhibition of artworks entitled Echoes, the Visual Other, consisting of drawings in various media done by Malta’s foremost playwright and writer Francis Ebejer (1925-1993), is taking place between June 6 and 30 at the Wignacourt Museum, Rabat.

Ebejer is best known for his theatrical works Vaganzi tas-Sajf, L-Imnarja Żmien il-Qtil, Il-Ħadd fuq il-Bejt, Karnival and many others besides his numerous narrative writings, of which there are plays, television plays, radio plays, novels and short stories.

However, only few may know that besides his literary output, the writer had a great love for the visual arts.

Hunting season

“This collection of artworks may be a surprise for many people who know Ebejer as an artist who expresses himself through writing,” say the organisers.

“One can find ties between the visual art and the literary activities of Ebejer. However, these drawings have an independent life that can be seen as a means for understanding further the wide artistic range of one of the major literary and cultural figures of Malta during the second half of the 20th century.”

One can find ties between the visual art and the literary activities of Ebejer

The exhibition is being put up by the writer’s son Damian Ebejer – himself an accomplished artist. It will consist of about 30 works executed during the 1980s and the 1990s.

Persian divans

Together with the exhibition, there will be the presentation of a book edited by Damian Ebejer on the visual artworks of Francis Ebejer in which various art experts express their interpretation of the artists’ works.

Ebejer’s love of art goes back to the times before he started writing and held his first-ever solo exhibition in 1991 at the former Museum of Fine Art in South Street Valletta.

Ebejer’s love of modern art saw him involved as early as the 1950s in the defence of modern art in Malta when he showed his support to the Grupp tal-Arti Moderna in their attempts to introduce new forms of art in Malta.

Royal sleep

In the upcoming exhibition of works, Ebejer makes use of various artistic media like coloured pens, pencils, pastels and charcoal. This collection may be considered as another lesser-known aspect of Ebejer’s strong artistic personality which we are familiar with mainly through his writings.

Echoes, the Visual Other showing artworks by Francis Ebejer is taking place between June 6 and 30 at the Wignacourt Museum, Rabat.