Sculpting in stone originated around 30,000BC, when Venus figurines were sculpted, mostly in Europe, though statues made from stone can be found throughout the history of mankind. Though metamorphic rocks such as marble have often been used by sculptors, also in the ancient world, soft stone remains one of the most popular materials.

There are a number of Maltese artists who work with Malta’s own globigerina limestone − the stone that parts of our houses are built with, the soft stone that gives Malta its predominant colouring when seen from the air... that beige-yellow that reflects the Mediterranean sun and bathes us all in a unique sheen. Predominant among these sculptors is Mqabba-based artist Antoine Farrugia, whose studies under sculptor Anton Grech led to a love affair with limestone. He has explored it thoroughly, moulding it, scraping it, forming it into exquisite shapes and then, through experimentation with pigments, waxes, glazes, etc, he has managed to coax an enormous amount of beauty from the stone itself. He sometimes works with cast-offs, transforming them into standalone, graceful forms that entice the viewer with their smooth curves and wild movement.

There is an overwhelming sensuality all around the sculptures that Farrugia is exhibiting at The Phoenicia’s Deep Nature Spa, as one of that hotel’s artist- in-residence for the month of June... a sense of desirable tactility that immediately hits the viewer, though its derivation tends to initially be a mystery, given the subtlety of what the works convey.

Unique is the best word to describe Antoine’s ‘shapes’ − amorphous figures that billow and stretch, that reach out and, at times, look in, that evoke so many images through associative similarity but which are none of them because the artist keeps the forms vague on purpose, refusing to name them so nobody guesses at what he himself had in mind. So we get the vaguely phallic, the vaguely matriarchal, the vaguely oral, the vaguely mammiferous. And, yes, all vague visual references are to body parts, which pretty much explains that feeling of the sensual that permeates them all.

All vague visual references are to body parts, which pretty much explains that feeling of the sensual that permeates them all

But there is a lot more than that involved in that overarching feeling. The sculptures are incredibly smooth to the touch, almost soft, in spite of their being made of stone. They communicate through the tips of fingers, sending synaptic messages that translate into a pleasurable experience. Yes and, undoubtedly, a sensual one.

Unlike many of the works that Farrugia has presented of late, which are bare of pigment, even if waxed to perfection, these sculptures are painted. And the artist pulled no stops in this.

The colouring is bright and primary. A deep-sea blue on a two-pronged figure; a vivid orange on a beautifully curved, almost bust-like sculpture that is, ironically, both phallic and matriarchal at the same time – a visual litotes that massages the senses; a lurid pink on what my mind could not stop seeing as a Moomin; and a luminous, mustardy yellow on a brawny figure with a lovingly curved Modigliani neck. And there is a deep black ‘penguin’ (all associations are purely personal); a leaf-green sculpture with the sculptor’s marks all over it, giving us a rare insight into the roughness that then yields the total smoothness of the end product; and a white creature with an open mouth that almost aggressively jumps at you from where it stands.

The lights and shades, leaping off the waters in the spa, make the 11 sculptures change nuance, depending on the angle in which they are viewed, so, massive kudos are due to curator Charlene Vella for the setting and the choice of works. She has done a splendid job, making sure that each figure is best situated for its shape to come across with the greatest possible effect.

A fascinating exhibition that is a feast for the senses. But I expect no less from Antoine, who has, over and over again, proved his ability to turn rough stone into beautiful works of art.

Colour Blocking, curated by Charlene Vella, is open to the public at The Phoenicia’s Deep Nature Spa.

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