Sylvana Debono has launched her debut exhibition, De Novo. While not new to the public sphere, this is Debono’s first contribution to the artistic world as a mixed-media artist. 

“I have been painting, on and off, all my life,” Debono said, “but 15 years ago, I felt that the time had come to make art an integral part of my life.”

At that point, she explained, her personal friendship with another artist, Ray Piscopo, was, for her, very inspiring and motivating. Although the styles and techniques used by Piscopo and Debono vary greatly, Debono felt that Piscopo’s innovative way of using line and colour awakened an urge to explore and experiment.

The turning point came when Debono met international artist Steven Christian Reed. Living and working in the south of France, Reed’s surroundings often provide the starting point for his work. Inspired by nature and intrigued by the fluctuating effects of light, his paintings are often infused with pattern, colour, texture and the fluidity of lines.

This approach greatly influenced Debono in her search for truth and beauty in art. The changes in light observed in different parts of the world affected the artist greatly, as well as the tenderness and, sometimes, the cruelty of nature, the not-so-gentle handprint of humankind and the different textures of life.

Tranquillity

“I have never been interested in painting a picture which looks like a photograph,” Debono explained.

Influenced by the marginal abstraction of Impressionism as well as the glorious use of colour in Fauvism, Debono’s compositions are sufficiently realistic to be recognisable but show a level of thinking outside the box which is not usual in predominantly watercolour paintings.

Her paintings capture a vibrancy and an excitement of mood, even when the choice of colours is muted. This innovative approach to watercolour is assisted using texturisation which renders the resulting artworks as mixed media.

Whether it is gesso, grounding, string or any inert material, the push to finding new reactions to watercolour has no limits for Debono. Indeed, she has also produced watercolour works on materials such as canvas and silk.

I have never been interested in painting a picture which looks like a photograph

In her first exhibition, Debono looks at the world around her in a new way. Not only is she a new kid on the block artistically, but she also brings a freshness of outlook to the current artistic milieu. Her pieces range from unusually large pieces such as the Arches collection to small, intimate pieces such as those featuring creatures great and small. From bees to seahorses, the colour play emphasises aspects of life: the dainty ladybird, the industrious bee, the elegant but sinister seahorse, the latter a favourite of the artist.

All these seem to capture the essence of the focal point but dissolve on the outer reaches of the painting so that the eye is left to dwell and produce its own version of reality.

“In this exhibition, we see representational subjects with a twist. In many paintings, Sylvana manipulates subjects using mixed media and carries a sensitive approach when considering techniques. She juggles a pallet of technicolour with the magical touches of gold leaf,” Reed said.

Artichokes

“This is a form of psychological closure,” observed Debono. “The artist does not need to depict everything. The viewer then can partner with the artist in mentally placing details which the artist has omitted. This way, art becomes a participative and collaborative affair.” 

The use of gold and silver leaf is also a leitmotif in this debut exhibition. From the controlled use of gold leaf in pieces such as The Lion and The Hare to more exuberant use such as the Seahorse collection and the innovative use in the Arches group, the use of metal leaf gives this exhibition an added oomph. The use of metal leaf is not simple and its application indicates a considerable level of skill obtained by this artist.

“This exciting exhibition marks the first chapter. The start of a very exciting journey with her best work on display. What a fantastic accomplishment putting this exhibition together,” Reed concluded.

De Novo is the debut exhibition by Sylvana Debono, taking place at the Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, between January 12 and 27.