Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/534048
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 JUNE 2015 This Week 43 Currently studying in Brighton, Julian Mallia has been shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards issued by the Association of Illustrators Maltese illustrator in the running for World Illustration Awards TEODOR RELJIC MALTESE illustrator Julian Mallia, currently studying in the UK, has been shortlisted for the prestigious World Illustration Awards, issued by the UK-based Association of Il- lustrators (AOI). Being a student at the University of Brighton, Mallia was eligible to apply for these awards in the new talent category. He submitted one entry that was exhibited during 'Divergent Thinkers 3' exhibition in Malta, entitled 'The Plight of the Homeless Orca'. "While I'm not considering this achievement as the summit of my career I'm kind of pleasantly reas- sured that my work is valid further away from the Maltese shores," Mallia said. "My move to the UK was a leap of faith to a certain extent and it en- tailed numerous compromises so this recognition comes as a pleas- ant surprise and a boost in morale. It is also a humbling experience to be in the presence of so many skilled illustrators with different styles and backgrounds." The AOI is a not-for-profit trade organisation promoting contem- porary illustration and maintain- ing industry standards. Established in 1973 the AOI has worked suc- cessfully with businesses and col- leges to increase the standing of illustration as a profession and improve commercial and ethical conditions. With a membership that includes freelance illustrators, agents, students and colleges the AOI continues to support and ed- ucate future generations at every stage of their career. Many notable illustrators are amongst our patrons including Ralph Steadman, Sir Quentin Blake, Shirley Hughes and Ray- mond Briggs. Mallia's artwork will be featured in the AOI catalogue and web- site and if he makes it to the next round, it will be exhibited in Som- erset House (London) during the prestigious opening. "I would say it's an important step for me because I rarely submit entries for competitions. I tend to keep a low profile and I'm not very keen on self-promotion. However, having moved to expensive Bright- on as a student, I'm reluctantly learning that modesty and shyness won't be paying my bills," Mallia confesses. Commenting on the piece itself, Mallia said it was "quite represent- ative" of his usual approach. "It features my typical surreal ideas executed in a traditional, re- alistic manner with a touch of dry humour. Admittedly, I've moved away from hyperrealistic, super time-consuming pencil drawings to faster, more expressionistic brush work using oil paint with some digital interventions, but there's always a rationale under- pinning my work." More poignantly though, Mallia also identifies with the subject of his illustration. "Just like an orca will never re- ally fit comfortably in a bird nest, I feel like my ideals are incongruous with my experience of the current Maltese artistic/design/illustration scenario. This was one of the rea- sons that made me take the plunge to check out other nests, so to speak," he says. The landscape of literature @reportermalta reporterontvm Tomorrow at 8.40pm on TVM2 with a repeat at 9.45pm on TVM REPORTER meets Speaker Anġlu Farrugia Shortlisted: The Plight of the Homeless Orca by Julian Mallia Julian Mallia: Self-portrait with Flying Spaghetti Monster HORIZONS Communications has published another book by Salv Sammut, Xbihat fuq it-Tila (Fig- ures in a Landscape). The title in- stantly implies an element of sym- bolism and metaphor of imagined characters allegorically painted on life's canvas by an observant writer. This publication is presented in a group of eighteen novels with a criti- cal introduction by the late academic Frans Sammut. As in his previous pub- lications, Sammut writes with everyday realism, that, apart from the opening fairy tale, all the other novels are based on the realism one encounters in his daily strives. He pays rigid attention to the Mal- tese that is still in common use but let himself go with modern anglo- Maltese in dialogue sequences. In his introduction to these nov- els, Frans Sammut wrote: "Apart from the credibility of the person- ages presented to us, the writer creates an environment of make- beliefs, dialogue and colourful im- ages that makes the story authentic in the personages' actions whether in disheartedness in failure of ex- pectations or still of the futility in mastering all the obstacles in their way." This set of eightenn novels, could be grouped in four categories. The Ro- mantics Mit-Taqlib tal-Imgħoddi (From Past Upheaval); F'Jum Ikħal tas-Sajf (On a Clear Sum- mer's Day); It-Tfajla tal-Vetrina (The Girl at the Window) and Id-Daqqaq tal- Vjolin (The Violin Player). The second cat- egory has the so- cial aspect like Il-Ġurdien (The Rat); Is-Sajjied (The Fisherman); Il-Midjun (The Debtor) and Il- Pusher (The Pusher). The psycho- logical ones in the third category are Fl-Iskur tal-Akkwarell (In the Dark Shade of the Acquarelle) and Iħirsa (Ghosts). Finally, the fourth category is the political ones Il- Politiku (The Politician) and Ir- Rappreżentant (The Representa- tive). For more information log on to julinu.com