Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/814533
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 APRIL 2017 39 This Week When did your interest in pursuing the visual arts first begin, and how did it develop? On that note, how did this grow into an interest in the digital sphere in particular? GABRIEL IZZO: AS CLICHE as it may sound, art started as hobby for me. I started taking it seriously around the time I was nine, after many relatives and educators pushed me towards it. To be honest I could trace the interest in visual arts even further back. I could say that I was always intrigued by the visual aesthetic, be it a simple drawing, a cleanly laid out poster and even a motion picture. However, my in- terest in the digital arts started to solidify when I pursued Art at Ma- triculation Level. It was here that I was introduced to digital editing software and photography. It was at this point that I found out about the process behind logo design and printmaking, so I also got the sense that I had the tools at my disposal to create work which was similar to that which I came across. I got the urge to learn more. MATT URPANI: I THINK I became in- terested in art early on in my child- hood, being influenced by art les- sons at school as well as my mum, who used to paint at the time. I let it go for years and picked it up again in my teens, when I grew in- terested in web-based comics and digital illustration. That's when I started to really experiment with Photoshop, which led to making posters and my first steps into graphic design. How is the BFA in Digital Arts helping you develop the style you want to develop, and what were some of the most important lessons you've learned from the process so far? GABRIEL IZZO: THE COURSE is quite efficient. It has both a multidis- ciplinary and an interdisciplinary facet, so one is exposed to many different areas. This allowed me to build an eclectic approach that al- lows me to draw inspiration from various artistic sources. I would say that the most important lesson I've learned so far is that design is very important in shaping the way things look as well as function. Some do not yet understand how much of an impact this fact has on their lives, especially in a Maltese context! MATT URPANI: I THINK the BFA re- ally helps to contextualise your work within what's going in the world and make it more relevant, while giving you the opportunity to experiment with the media you use and acquire new skills. I doubt I'll use everything I've learned throughout the three years, but I definitely would not be producing what I am now if I wasn't exposed to the challenges and insights that the course provides. Could you describe your contribution to the Pocemucka exhibition? How did you interpret the overarching brief of what the exhibit sets out to express? GABRIEL IZZO: IN OUR introductory dissertation meetings, the disser- tation was presented to us as a 're- search question'. We are all asking different questions in our individ- ual explorations. I was always an inquisitive and inquiring person, so Pocemucka, which refers to 'one who asks a lot of questions', seems to hit the nail on the head in that regard. Through my person- al exploration I am trying to see whether or not design could aid the well-being of the ones around us, including ourselves. Without giving too much away, I am focus- ing on the concept of mindfulness practice. MATT URPANI: MY BIGGEST interest is in video so a lot of the hands- on content I've been contribut- ing revolves around that sphere. That aside, it's been an experience of different creative people com- ing together to build something collective out of what are seem- ingly unrelated projects. I'm really pleased with how we all think and work differently, and our works all ask different questions, but the very act of asking and trying to uncover something that maybe hasn't been given attention before unites us. And the way we can all come together under that banner and build something that we can all share has been very inspiring. Portraits of budding artists This year's edition of the annual Degree Exhibition of the Bachelors of Fine Arts in Digital Arts students will be taking place at the University of Malta campus from June 2 to 16. In the coming weeks, we will be interviewing to some of the participants of the showcase, this year entitled 'Pocemucka' – a Russian word signifying somebody who asks plenty of questions. This week, we speak to Matt Urpani and Gabriel Izzo Matt Urpani Gabriel Izzo Work by Gabriel Izzo Work by Matt Urpani