Mellieħa is the subject of paintings exhibited at The Phoenicia Malta throughout the month of May. Titled Insider Outsider: Mellieħa, this exhibition portrays a variety of views of the northernmost village on the island of Malta by two of the nation’s most active contemporary visual artists: Debbie Bonello and Sarah Calleja. Bonello and Calleja share similar interests especially when it comes to landscape painting. Both of them often paint en plain air where they venture outdoors, even together, to capture atmospheric landscapes together.

'Mellieħa' Church by Debbie Bonello

The exhibition is titled Insider Outsider since Mellieħa has different nuances for both artists, one of whom used to call it her hometown.

Bonello is the insider. She was born and raised in Mellieħa, and even though she currently does not reside there, still has many ties to the village. It is a place she is still extremely fond of.

Calleja has different sentiments towards Mellieħa; she knows Mellieħa as an outsider, as someone who visits for its nature and beaches. Nonetheless, Calleja too has distinct and very personal memories related to Mellieħa that have instigated which views she chose to capture.

'Aħrax' by Sarah Calleja

The two artists have come together to present a collection of seascapes and landscapes in acrylic, oil and watercolour that are executed in their own distinct style but which still harmonise well together.

There are portrayals of beaches, churches, Selmun, Aħrax, the so-called Għar u Casa that harks back to troglodytism in Late Medieval Malta in general and Mellieħa in particular, and so much more. They have managed to capture the essence of Mellieħa, a village steeped in history and which also has a diverse natural environment.

'Għal ġol-Ħajt' by Debbie Bonello

They are presenting their personal take on the sentiments that Mellieħa evokes in them. In fact, most paintings elicit happiness, reflected even in the choice of colour. They capture memories of days spent lounging on the beach, swimming, countryside walks or camping.

Most of Bonello’s oil paintings are vivid and colourful. They portray the right amount of detail, allowing her loose brushwork and layers or glazes to be an important protagonist in the compositions. When figures are portrayed, they are executed in just a few quick strokes, as can be seen in Playdate in Għadira.

They are presenting their personal take of the sentiments that Mellieħa evokes in them

The iconic Mellieħa parish church and St Agatha’s Tower (or the Red Tower) that dominate Mellieħa Bay on either side do not fail to feature in Bonello’s paintings. They are bathed in light and captured on elongated canvases that are rapidly becoming a hallmark of Bonello’s work.

As an intended contrast, Bonello is also exhibiting Għal ġol-ħajt, a painting that portrays a cacophony of buildings along one of Mellieħa’s ridges that adequately reflects the claustrophobic atmosphere of parts of the urban village. It is cleverly composed in an almost mono­chrome palette and what is termed horror vacui in the art world (or kenophobia, if you like; a fear of empty spaces).

'Sitting at the Bay' by Sarah Calleja

There is no hint of the sky above or greenery. The blacks and grey bring out the melancholy Bonello at times feels towards her beloved Mellieħa, for this feels alien to her. This is a very personal painting.

Black is employed by Sarah Calleja for a large nocturnal scene of Mellieħa Bay, as well as for two sweeping views of Ġnien Ingraw captured in watercolour.

Mellieħa parish church and St Agatha’s Tower do not fail to feature in Calleja’s paintings, with warm tones dominating A Distant Celebration that has the Red Tower as subject in the left background. Rocky shores feature predominantly with masterfully captured crashing waves captured in large and small works conveying the same effect. Camping and Random Encounters is executed with particular feeling of memorable stays in Aħrax, immersed in nature. Calleja’s paintings are executed in a restricted palette but which still have a variety of tones that make up the whole.

'Playdate in Għadira' by Debbie Bonello

'Aħrax Coast' by Sarah Calleja

'Red Tower' by Debbie Bonello

Rural Mellieħa, including Ġnien Ingraw, was immortalised by Maltese artist George Fenech (1926-2011) whose name is synonymous with Mellieħa. Fenech often ventured out with his easel and painting tools, and one cannot but think of his portrayals of this scenic village when discussing art and Mellieħa. His paintings portrayed a quintessential representation of his hometown, as do Calleja and Bonello’s paintings, yet the result and effect of these paintings are so different, as is to be expected from artists who come from a different gene­ration, an interpretation that cannot be ignored.

Both Bonello and Calleja have held two solo exhibitions (the first in 2017 and 2019 respectively) and participate in several collective exhibitions. This exhibition, while indicating that artists are still very much inspired by the forms and contours of the Maltese islands, also proves that there are still ample open spaces that can be enjoyed throughout the different seasons of the year.

Insider Outside: Mellieħa is curated by Charlene Vella and is open until May 31 at the Palm Court Lounge, The Phoenicia, Malta. Vella is a senior lecturer in Art History in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta.