Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539233
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 SEPTEMBER 2025 ART 'TUITIO Fidei' is Tonio Mall- ia's latest solo exhibition of oil paintings, titled after the Knights of Malta's motto, De- fence of the Faith. It is being displayed at MUŻA's impos- ing Camerone Hall. Mallia's collection of large- scale works, each meas- uring approximately 1.7 square metres, was thoughtfully created in direct response to the hall's architectural rhythm, blending into its peripheries. The di- alogue between artwork and space is one of quiet tension: monumental, yet without domination—a ves- sel of remembrance for those who endured the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. In preparation for the works, Mallia deeply researched the history of 16th-century Malta to intuit life during that peri- od. Stylistically, the paintings draw from a range of visual languages rooted in Byzan- tine and early Christian influ- ences, as well as 19th-century symbolism. These references are not literal appropriations but reinterpretations, using abstraction, texture, and aged surfaces to create contempo- rary impressions. The paradoxes that coexisted during this period are brought to the fore: the sacred duty of the Hospitallers to care for the sick set a g a i n s t their martial discipline; the seafaring rhythm of maritime life contrasted with the still- ness of waiting behind fortifi- cations. The resilience of the Maltese population, so often consigned to the margins of grander narratives, is remembered in Messenger— a silent tribute to their memory. Other works such as Galleys, Philerme, and Pikes delve into themes of di- vine intercession and votive tradition—vehicles of hope. La Gardampe tells an aching- ly poetic story of a mortally wounded knight who refused help and dragged himself to the foot of the altar of St El- mo's chapel, a dying ember represented by a candle snuffed out beneath a spiritual vision of St Anne. The works don't offer easy mean- ing. Their lay- ered surfaces suggest hidden depths and unre- solved truths. The absence of figures becomes meaningful in itself—these are not portraits, but reflections on what it meant to live through a time shaped by faith, fear, and survival. In this exhibition, viewers are reminded of hard reali- ties. These paintings don't of- fer answers. They invite us to reflect—to consider the emo- tional impact of conflict, and to sit with its open questions rather than its conclusions. The exhibition runs from 7 August to 21 September at MUŻA, Auberge d'Italie, Mer- chant Street, Valletta. 'Tuitio Fidei,' an exhibition by Tonio Mallia