Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/794736
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 MARCH 2017 40 This Week FIFTEEN paintings by expressionist painter James Vella Clark will be exhibited at Lazuli Art Gallery in Victoria Gozo this month. The exhibition themed Divergence, will be open until March 25. This is James Vella Clark's first exhibition since his last solo show in 2012. It is also his second exhibition in Gozo since 2009. Through this collection of works, the art- ist is showing how his landscapes are con- stantly assuming a more abstract dimen- sion. The earliest piece in this collection is from 2008 and features Xwejni Bay in Gozo with the latest works completed over these past weeks. "I chose the theme 'Divergence' because of the way I am consciously moving away from my earlier style and way of interpret- ing the landscape, to a more minimalist expression. I look at my artistic career as a constant journey of discovery and personal evolution. However, my roots remain firm- ly set in the Mediterranean colours, the symbolic cypress and palm trees, the village skylines and the perennial church domes dominating the landscape," says the artist. Charlotte Lombard, owner and curator of Lazuli Art Gallery said, "James is one of the first artists I discovered when I moved to Malta years ago. The quality of his work struck me immediately. His very personal and contemporary approach to capturing the local landscape, his palette of vibrant contrasts and light, and his interpretation of detail, resonate with me and my percep- tion of the Mediterranean architecture and environment. I value the fact that his art is permanently in movement, searching, ex- ploring and evolving towards the abstract. And I am delighted that he has accepted my invitation to be the first Maltese artist to show his work at Lazuli Art gallery." Lazuli Art is a new art gallery in the heart of Victoria in Gozo, located on Palm Street in Victoria, just a short stroll from St George Square. The gallery opened in 2016, showcasing distinctive and original metal work from four different countries. The ethos of Lazuli Art is the commitment to Fair Trade and the celebration of cul- tural diversity and integration. With each new season, Lazuli Art introduces a new medium and present Fair Trade art work by artists making waves in their profession and once a year, it plans to showcase the work of one Maltese artist. For more information, log on to: www.la- zuliart.com Diverging from the well-trodden path The hoopoe is one of our more exotic-looking birds. In flight it's like the bird version of a butterfly, with wide wings, flashing black-and- white stripes and this rather slow, flappy flight. But once it settles on the ground the bird virtually disappears. How does it do it? Well, hoopoes have short legs and this gives them a low profile as they skulk and probe the soil for worms and insects with their long curved bill. Apart from the stripy wings, the plumage of the bird's body is sandy beige, which also helps the bird blend with the ground; as long, that is, as it doesn't unfurl its pièce de résistance: that magnificent crest! The hoopoe (M: daqquqa tat-toppu) is a migratory bird and spends its winter in Africa. Now that spring is in the air it's starting to fly back to Europe to breed, and some are already dropping in for a couple of days' rest and a snack. In Malta this bird has been protected since at least 1980, but show me one stuffed-bird collection that doesn't include a pathetic once-was-hoopoe! Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti The value chain of chocolate is very complex, opaque and characterized by a massive imbalance in the market at the expense of small-scale farmers. The impoverishment of cocoa farmers, exploitation of workers, child labour and environmental impacts are main characteristics of today's chocolate industry. Cocoa is the primary source of income for 5.5 million smallholder farmers and secures the livelihood of more than 14 million rural workers and their families. In some West African countries up to 90% of the farmers rely on cocoa for their primary income. But the cultivation of cocoa is not lucrative anymore: Most cocoa farmers live in destitute poverty and have to get by on less than $1.25 per day, which means living below the absolute poverty line. In Ghana, the daily income of a cocoa-farmer is at $0.84 per day, in Ivory Coast it is even lower at $0.50 per day. Even though the demand for cocoa is growing rapidly and will increase by nearly 20% in the upcoming years, together with a rising – though fluctuating – price, most of the farmers still cannot cover their living costs and live far below the poverty line. The cocoa sector is therefore increasingly unattractive for younger generations who prefer to work in white-collar jobs or in the city. Bittersweet Chocolate Supply Chain economics – benefitting the few 547. HOOPOE James Vella Clark exhibits abstract landscapes at Lazuli Art Gallery in Gozo with 'Divergence' James Vella Clark (self-portrait) GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 450 BARBECUE CLEANER: Turn off the barbecue and allow it to cool a little. Soak newspaper in water, lay the sheets over the warm barbecue grill, close the lid and leave for approximately an hour. Then simply remove the paper and wipe the grill clean.