Carmen Vella Gauci is presenting her third solo exhibition at Casino Notabile, in Rabat.

Titled Revival, it features works created last winter and during the COVID lockdown period. The artist admits that working on these paintings proved to be “my sanity during a dark period”.

“It was my survival. I needed to bring out my colours and create my own light,” Vella Gauci says.

There are 20 mixed-medium pieces in all, which follow no particular theme like in the artist’s previous solo exhibitions, held in 2018 and 2020.

“I can never stick to one theme and present a solo with just one theme alone because I am stimulated by many things I see or perceive, whether it’s serene scenery, an emotional moment, a positive comment, happy people or an encounter with a long-time friend,” she says.

Colour is, however, a strong feature in her works.

“I fetch a lot of light and colour. I like to paint creating ‘happy vibes’ or inspirational scenes. Mostly, I like to transmit positivity and colour in my paintings. Whoever sees my paintings in person tells me that the photos I take do not do justice to the paintings, they are much more vibrant in reality.”

In this exhibition, Vella Gauci moves from realistic paintings – what the eye can see, like pretty scenes or people – to semi-abstract and abstract paintings.

“It was a journey of a year’s paintings, so there was this transition,” Vella Gauci notes, while admitting that abstracts are her favourite.

“In future, I’d like to work more with semi-abstracts and abstracts. There is immense satisfaction to experiment with colours, to work with fast strokes to create movement and energy.”

Revival also includes some works from Vella Gauci’s ‘O’ level art students.

“I feel it is a good way to motivate them but also to expose them to the world of art,” the artist notes.

 The exhibition, which opened at the Casino Notabile, Saqqajja Hill, Rabat, on Thursday, runs until tomorrow. Opening hours are from 9am to noon and 4.30 to 8pm.