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1. What's been the most defining moment in your career so far? I do not define just one moment or event, however one of my greatest achievements was the sculpture Three Farmers commissioned by Eco-Gozo after it was chosen as part of a public art competition. It was very challenging as I had to work from scratch. From fashioning the round metal bars for the structure of the figures, to welding and galvanizing the whole artwork. It was also an experiment as I tried a new material used for construction. This, however, was time-consuming as the hands, feet and the three face statues, representing the three generations of farmers, first had to be moulded from clay, then moulds and casts made from Vinamold rubber and plaster. The tallest figure is 7 feet tall, whereas the other two figures are 6.4 feet tall. I also had to construct the traditional plough using thick, hollow sections and later galvanised. This artwork was placed at the square in Sannat, Gozo, near Ta' Cenc hotel. It was interesting to observe workers installing the sculpture, as well as locals coming to look at the figures, with some commenting on the fig- ures' resemblance to their relatives or people they knew. I also have another artwork, located in Rabat Gozo, near the bus terminus, entitled It-Tfulija, which is made of clay and cast in bronze. This depicts a girl chasing pigeons. I got the idea when I saw some children chasing pigeons at Barrakka ta' Fuq gardens. At the time, my daughter Stefania modelled for me, and with the help of a friend I got a pigeon to study the bird's movements whilst flying. The pigeon was later set free. I made seven pigeons cast in bronze and suspended with solid stain- less-steel rods. The pigeons and steel rods have since been removed and are undergoing restoration, as they were vandalised. 2. As an artist, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media? I am not a big fan of social media. I know that it is important to showcase your work on platforms like Instagram or Tiktok, however, it can be tempting to cater to the demands of algorithms rather than your own creative instincts. Thus, it is important to find ways to balance the demands of social media with the need for creative freedom. I do eventually post my artwork on Facebook and I think it's positive to showcase your work, however posting on social media can become very time-consuming. I want to use my time to work on new ideas and create art. Time man- agement is very important, especially when you reach a certain age. 3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity? I do not think AI is a threat to my career as an artist. I believe that whilst machines can become useful tools, they will never replace the artist. Human feeling in the creative process is never going away. Creativity is all about making choices—what material to use, what to draw, paint, sculpt or model and what message to convey. Art can have a political message or reflect the artist's background or environment. This cannot be replicated by machine learning technology. AI cannot create new artistic forms and ideas on its own, however this technology can present an opportunity to study old masters and even the work of my father; to animate, change and interpret such works. 4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard? I have now retired from work. So, I look for- ward to organise and work in my studio, which is situated in the basement of my residence. This is very convenient as I have easy excess to check and continue on my art work. I find the best way to get off hard times is to go to my studio and work. It is in my nature to start working on different art works at one time. As for ceramics, I have to work on at least seven to eight pieces so I can have enough art work to fill the kiln. My problem is not finding inspiration or mo- tivation, but whether I will have enough time to finish all my projects. Going through my father's drawings and sketches for the latest publication Antoine Camilleri A World Within, I noticed a great deal of ideas and projects which were never executed. When I retired two years ago, I started to organise the studio. It is very important to have things in order. Ceramic technique requires precise and calculated records of the tests made on different glazes. Experimenting is the most wonderful and rewarding of all. Obviously not all experiments are a success, but I try to acquire the best results. When I am not working, I am sketching, and storing ideas. I have a folder where I keep these, together with cuttings and photos. In summer I prefer to go out and draw. Depending on my mood, I either go to draw a particular street, village or town. Valletta is always my favourite location. Last summer I visited St John's Co-Cathedral. I used to go twice a week to draw different sections of the interior of the cathedral. I used to attend life classes in figure drawing. These drawings are always an inspiration for modelling in clay, late fire and glaze. What I usually do in the life classes is draw the figure from different angles, these will help me to sculpture three-dimensional works. The first step is the idea, then the drawing and from the drawing—which has to be a good drawing--I can work on different media. In winter I have all these drawings to work on and I either work with ink and watercolour, model the figure in clay for ceramic sculpture, work dry point etching, or woodcut or pyrogra- phy on wood. 5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators? I produce art for personal satisfaction, not to appease others or build pleasant things. I ex- press my emotions regarding life's challenges, including health, family, politics, and the en- vironment through art. My father and I valued a stable income and the freedom to make art without pressure to impress others. Good art stands the test of time, however nice art fades away quickly. Educate clients on your message and feelings. This includes the technique and process required. Malta, lacks programmes to educate the public on this creative level, notwithstanding the media's potential contribution. Local crafts and pastimes are prioritised over artistic creations. Trust your intuition and make decisions based on experience, emotions, and subconscious understanding. This, technique can produce unique results for your clients. 6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow? I have a file with sketches, photos, and other things. Depending on the mood, I select a drawing. I choose which media to work with. When considering modelling in clay, it's important to ensure that it's possible. Throughout my career, I've worked with several mediums, including wood, stone, resin, metal (sheet), plaster, clay, cement, and glass. This, gives me additional alternatives for selecting the ideal medium for a specific task. It is important to decide on the size of the work. For ceramics, I must calculate the art work's size to accommodate the kiln. If it does not fit, I will have to split the art work in two. Consider where to link the figure, prepare for accessories, and conceal the joint location. Recently, I created clay props in various sizes, these include stools, seats, and platforms. I fire these pops and utilise them to position a figure, either seated or reclining. These props inspired the concept for the current display. Melanie suggested the title Poġġejt Gġax Gġajjejt after seeing my ceramic sculptures, which are often reclining or relax- ing. During life lessons, the extended poses are typically seated or rested to maintain the original stance. As previously said, I would create multiple drawings of the same stance to aid in creating a three-dimensional sculpture. I have a fair notion of the finished art work, including the clay and glazes to utilise. Clay is my preferred media since it allows for modelling, pressing, and scratching with tools. Each piece of art contains prints of my figures. I prefer to use my own fingers and a toothpick. When the figure is finished, it will need to dry. This often takes 2-3 weeks, depending on the season. After drying, the art work, referred to as 'bone dry', will be fired for the first time (biscuit firing). 7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects, works? One of the projects I plan to work on is the St John's Co-Cathedral designs. The drawing will be transferred to 60 x 60 cm beech wood and burned. After I will apply acrylic paint and varnishes (pyrography). I have used this technique to depict views of the island. These sketches depict my interpretation of the cathe- dral's interior, including chapels, decorations, marble statues, and paintings I had access to areas not open to the public. In keeping with the concept, I plan to use dry point etching for these sketches. To copy the pen sketch, I use a copper plate to create a mirror image and lower the size from A2 to A3. In the past, I worked on etching techniques. I have an etching press with a 113cm roller that weighs almost two tonnes. The final project involves creating bas relief sculptures based on the same drawings, modelling them in clay and mounting them on wood panels. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 JANUARY 2026 CULTURE 70,000 people attended celebrations in Valletta PAGE 2 ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON BY LAURA CALLEJA suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt The Q & A ANTOINE PAUL CAMILLERI 7 questions for... Camilleri was born in August 1959. From a young age, he was apprenticed to his father, the late Antoine Camilleri, one of Malta's most influential modern artists. During his upper secondary education, he studied under artist Esprit Barthet and attended pottery classes with the highly regarded ceramist Gabriel Caruana. He has participated in numerous collective exhibitions and has also held several solo shows. His current solo exhibition, Poġġejt għax għajjejt, is on view at il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba. MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta CULTURE Jiangnan Garden: A Place of Return, an exhibition of paintings by Yang Tang PAGE 3