Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545062
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2026 CULTURE Spanish-Maltese artist Elena De Gabriele presents Telf, an art exhibition in València, Spain THE Espai Jove VLC, in Valen- cia, is proud to present "Telf ", a solo exhibition by Spanish-Mal- tese artist Elena De Gabriele. Opening on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. and running through May 28, the exhibition showcas- es the culmination of a rigorous two-year research and creative project. Curated by Natividad Nav- alón and Teresa Cháfer, "Telf" explores the erosion of Maltese traditions under the weight of gentrification and mass tour- ism. Through a dynamic dia- logue between painting and cast sculpture, De Gabriele creates a symbiotic space that reflects on profound territorial shifts. Her work confronts pressing issues such as the erasure of tradi- tional architecture by rampant development, the ecological toll of illegal building permits, the decline of artisanal fishing, and the broader threat to historical heritage. De Gabriele balances the deep- ly personal with critical analy- sis. Her investigative approach blends lived experience with exhaustive research from jour- nalistic archives and scientific reports, seamlessly merging au- tobiography, documentation, and artistic reflection. Serving as her final degree pro- ject for the Universitat Politècni- ca de València, "Telf" represents a defining milestone that marks a period of profound growth and artistic consolidation in De Ga- briele's emerging career. MALTESE artist Noel Galea Bason has died at the age of 71. Bason was best known for designing the 1987 Maltese Li- ra coins and Malta's first Euro coin series. Bason's passing was an- nounced earlier in the week and prompted tributes from across the artist community and from Floriana residents, the town where he was born and raised, with many recalling his signif- icant contribution to Malta's cultural and national identity. Bason studied at the Lyce- um before deciding to further his studies at Rome's Scuola dell'Arte della Medaglia, from which he graduated in 1978. He then went on to join the Malta Mint at the Central Bank of Malta, becoming the first Maltese artist to be entrusted with the design of the country's coins. Bason was also responsible for numerous medals, sculptures, commemorative pieces, and public monuments. Some of his notable commissions include the stamp issues for Pope John Paul II's visit to Malta in 1990, as well as a monumental bronze relief marking that visit. He was also the artist cho- sen to design the Dom Mintoff monument in Castille Square, honouring the former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. President Myriam Spi- teri Debono Myriam Spiteri Debono paid tribute to the late artist. She described him as a man whose "talent and artistic vision accompanied the country Prominent Maltese artist Noel Galea Bason dies at age 71 Chris Ebejer's sculptural journey continues in Valletta AN exhibition by Maltese sculptor Chris Ebejer is open- ing at the Oratory of the Im- maculate within the Jesuit Church in Valletta, bringing together a major selection of works. Echoes of Now, presents sculptures in porcelain, terra- cotta, bronze and marble, span- ning several years of Ebejer's artistic practice. Curated by art historian Pao- lo Giansiracusa, the exhibition aims to create what organisers describe as "a moment of reflec- tion" amid modern social and cultural turbulence. Each sculpture is displayed within "a specially conceived setting intended to comple- ment both the delicacy of the works and the grandeur of the 17th-century church interior." Ebejer, regarded as one of Malta's leading contemporary creative voices, draws heavily on Mediterranean artistic tradi- tions and Maltese cultural her- itage in his work. The exhibition is supported by the Jesuit Church Foundation and is conceived as an anthol- ogy-style presentation tracing the evolution and continuity of the artist's creative language over time. Echoes of Now runs until 7 June at the Oratory of the Im- maculate, Jesuit Church, Val- letta, with entrance from Arch- bishop Street. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 7pm; Sat- urdays from 9.30am to 1.30pm and 5pm to 9pm; and Sundays from 9.30am to 1.30pm.