Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542941
8 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 30 JANUARY 2026 CULTURE WHAT does traditional Gozo lace have to do with tattoo art? And what do both have to do with portals, thresholds, and be- ginnings? These are some of the questions quietly posed by Gate- ways and Portals, the first exhibi- tion hosted at Chrysalis Studio in Xewkija, Gozo. As Planet Earth steps into a new year, humanity once again finds itself crossing a symbolic threshold. Across cultures and throughout history, the first quarter of the year has been marked as a time of transition, renewal, and recalibration, cele- brated today through New Year festivities, Holi, the Lunar New Year, Carnival, and the March Equinox. Even the very names of the early months of the year car- ry echoes of beginnings, cleans- ing, and renewed movement af- ter winter's pause. Gateways and Portals draws on this ancient rhythm of change while rooting it firmly into the presence of the local. The ex- hibition explores the idea of thresholds between seasons, ma- terials, and inner states, through a diverse range of artistic expres- sions. From tattoo art to fine art photography, from ceramics and candles to mixed media and tra- ditional craft, the works on dis- play invite viewers to consider how transformation often hap- pens at the edges: between what was and what is becoming. The exhibition has been in- tentionally structured around elemental and symbolic themes, including nature's forces (earth, air, water, fire, and wood), along- side the colours blue and yellow, both carrying deep spiritual and cultural resonance. A distinct Gozitan sensibility runs through the exhibition, where ancestral crafts, contemporary art forms, and personal storytelling inter- sect, sometimes unexpectedly. Gateways and Portals is a three-month exhibition held at Chrysalis Studio, Mġarr Road, Xewkija. It is open every Sunday from 12:00 to 5:45pm between 11 January 2026 and 29 March 2026, or by private appointment at no extra cost (+356 99700600). Entry is free. A virtual version of the exhibi- tion is also available online at: h t t p s : / / w w w . c h r y s a l i s v e - ganarts.com/category/exhibi- tion-portals-gateways The exhibition has been intentionally structured around elemental and symbolic themes, including nature's forces (earth, air, water, fire, and wood), alongside the colours blue and yellow, both carrying deep spiritual and cultural resonance Carri C. – acrylic and mixed-media paintings Christine Mizzi – tattoo art, candles, ceramics, acrylic and watercolour paintings Hel. A. Crafts – needle- felted framed works Loving Gozo Arts – acrylic paintings and découpaged artisanal items Marisa Warwick – oil and watercolour paintings Richie's Nature Photography – fine art photography Shaun McGrath – fine art photography Participating artists From Gozo lace to tattoo lace and back GATEWAYS AND PORTALS: