Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1473504
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 JULY 2022 6 ART Patrick Dalli exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts Solo exhibition Landforms presents Dalli's new direction, expressed in the form of abstracted landscapes at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta RENOW NED local artist Pat- rick Dalli's exhibition Land- forms opens on Thursday 21 July at the Art Galleries of the Malta Society of Arts (MSA) in Valletta. The exhibition will present a new body of work consisting of around 25 large, stylised, oil-on-linen paint- ings, representing the artist's personal impression and inter- pretation of local landscapes. Dalli says that the seed for this exhibition was planted during a conversation with the exhibition's curator, Roder- ick Camilleri. "At the time, I was just beginning to work on a new body of large paintings that revolved around land- scapes," comments the artist. "That conversation stimulat- ed me to keep on creating and present these works to the public through a solo exhibi- tion." Dalli's new collection uses a bright palette of colours to portray his abstracted land- scapes. "I work very spontane- ously using a selection of col- ours which are usually ready at hand," explains Dalli about his process. "My favourite colours are ultramarine blue, cobalt violet, emerald green, yellow ochre and carmine. I often in- clude carmine in my paintings. However, I never limit myself to any particular set of colours, as I am always open to try dif- ferent hues." After that conversation with Dalli, Camilleri continued to work hand-in-hand with the artist. "In my role as a cura- tor, I had to weave togeth- er different elements such as content, selection, design and presentation, in order to pres- ent an engaging and stimulat- ing experience to the public," he divulges. "The exhibition will feature a unique series of large-scale paintings express- ing colour fields and stylised compositions, representing forceful landforms. Moreover, it will be the first showcase of Dalli's fresh work which char- acterises his new thematic and painterly approach." This particular selection of work which will now be pre- sented as the Landforms col- lection was developed and cre- ated from en plein air painting. "COVID restrictions led me to work outside of my studio and enjoy the local natural at- mosphere, away from the dis- tractions and chaotic tension which the pandemic created," recalls Dalli. "My process de- velops in a very spontaneous and intuitive manner. I usual- ly start from a small painterly sketch or a bozzetto which I create on-site. This acts as my starting point as I always inter- pret and process what I see to create a very personal and styl- ised composition. The sketches which I prefer are then usually reinterpreted and developed into a large paintings, and this is what I did for Landforms." MSA President Arch. Adrian Mamo expressed his satisfac- tion that the MSA is facilitat- ing Dalli's new direction in his career. "The MSA is pleased to be hosting Dalli's first ex- hibition presenting a nev- er-seen-before body of work that is totally different to the large nudes that Dalli is known for," he says. "As a Society, we always encourage artists to ex- periment and explore new cre- ative paths, and this case is no exception." Landforms by Patrick Dal- li and curated by Roderick Camilleri is on between 21 July and 11 August 2022 at the Art Galleries of the Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo de La Salle, Republic Street, Valletta. En- trance is free. For more details about the exhibition please visit www.artsmalta.org or www.facebook.com/maltasoci- etyofarts.