Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542822
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JANUARY 2026 ART Paul Cassar's new solo exhibition: A journey into colour, life, memory and transcendence PAUL Cassar's vivid palette will once again be showcased in his new exhibition: 60. The exhibition commemorates the artist's sixtieth birthday while also being a uniquely person- al tribute to the memory of a loved one. 60 marks Paul Cassar's six- tieth birthday this January while also being dedicated to the memory of his elder broth- er, Joseph, who was also six- ty years old at the time of his passing. Paul has honoured his brother's memory with a por- trait: Remembering Joseph (il- Kuċċ) My Brother 2025. This vivid portrait, in Paul's signa- ture style, is a memorial to his brother's cheerful personality and love of music. This exhibition stems from a particularly difficult period in the artist's life, when Paul lost not one but three of his loved ones, his older brother and both of his parents within a year. This difficult period has led to an evolution in Paul's art, where transcendence has now taken centre stage. Furthermore, Paul has chosen a very particular format for his paintings: 60 x 60 centimetres, which not only reminds us of the artist's and his brother's sixtieth year but also creates a powerful, cohesive visual im- pact. Paul explores transcenden- tal subjects in several of the paintings. He has shown a new preoccupation with souls, the afterlife and the possibil- ity of bridges between differ- ent planes, between our world and the next, as can be seen in paintings such as Timeless Bridge, Reaching Eternal, and Eternal Echoes. The transcendental dimen- sion of Paul's work is also an extension, as it were, of Paul's preoccupation with the cosmic aspect. Paul's fascination with the cosmos – as seen in works such as Until the End of Time in his previous exhibition – shows his interest in vastness and what is beyond us, a preoc- cupation that now extends to the infinity of eternity. Paul's dedication to vivid col- our, abstract forms – including abstraction in landscapes - and intense light can once more be seen in his latest works. Some- thing of note however, is the addition of gold and golden yellow tones, a striking feature of some paintings such as the Timeless Bridge, Melody from Roman Cave is Coming…, Eternal Symphonic Energy and Time Melange. Gold in Byz- antine art symbolised heaven- ly glory and divine light; the paintings of the present exhi- bition, even those not overtly transcendentally themed, are also linked to the eternal and the otherworldly through the use of golden hues. This exhibition also showcas- es Paul's well-known interest in the organic – spirals, growth and renewal return to the lime- light, this time linked with the afterlife and the cycle of the soul. The exhibition includes Paul's signature abstracts and abstracted seascapes and land- scapes, like the outstanding "Seas of Mystery" and more traditional landscapes. Paul's self-portrait will not disappoint and will once again be one of the highlights of the exhibition. Paul's self-portraits reflect the introspection of this artist who is a poet not only on the canvas but also on the written page, two passions that complement and supplement each other. 60 showcases Paul Cassar's poetical imagination and emo- tional honesty. It is a moving synthesis of his technical mas- tery, philosophical contem- plation and sheer passion for colour, showing an artist grap- pling with life, loss, renewal and the nature of eternity in a pivotal moment of his life. This exhibition is being held at the art gallery within Crea- tive Expressions at Bishop Em- manuel Galea Street, Żejtun. Running from 9 January until 9 February 2026. Eternal Symphonic Energy 2024, acrylic on canvas 60 x 60cm Timeless Bridge 2024, oil on canvas, 60 x 60cm Paul Cassar