Outdoor artists committee members Clive and Roberta yesterday met visual artists Cheryl Bilocca, Rebecca Bartolo, Anne Marie Mifsud, Noelle Camilleri at Yard 32, in Valletta. The artists will be exhibiting their visual art work on a two day program organized by il-Kotra* on the 25th and 26th of March. Clive and Roberta together with the five artists discussed the logistics of the event, and the work involved. During the coming month we will keep you updated about the process these four artists will be involved in and as well will give you a small background about their lifestyle as artists.
*Il-Kotra is an event which promoted local contemporary music. For more info. please visit https://www.facebook.com/KotraMalta/?fref=ts
The following are the interviews carried to the Kotra Visual Artists, who are exhibiting at the event.
Noelle Camilleri
1. How long have you been in the arts scene?
Since I was a child I liked to doodle in my free time. As I grew older I started experimenting with different mediums and turned to acrylics. Art became a way to spend my free time but also a refuge in times of stress. Later on, while working with people with special needs I had the opportunity to attend an art therapy introductory course. This made me realise how Art Therapy was a way of bringing together my work in the Psychology field and my passion, art making. During the Art Therapy training I had more time to experiment with different materials and mediums. I learnt to give more importance to the process of art making rather than focus just on the aesthetical value of the final piece.
2. Which is your favourite medium and why?
I like the physicality and the control of lino printing but I also like the fluidity and the expressive potential of watercolours and ink. I tend to use the material that best expresses the concept that I want to explore through my art.
3. Are you a self-thought artist or did you study? In case you did study, where did you study at?
I have never studied Art in itself nonetheless I have completed a MA in Art Psychotherapy. The nature of the course was more oriented towards the expressive and healing potential of the process of art making nonetheless I had the opportunity to learn through experimentation with different mediums.
4. What do you think about the arts scene in Malta?
As Maltese we grow up in a country full of artistic values that sometimes we take for granted. I like the fact that nearly every weekend I find an exhibition to visit. I was also very pleased to learn about initiatives and NGOs such as ‘Outdoor Artists’ which act as a platform for young and established artists.
5. What motivated you to apply to exhibit in il-kotra? And what do you expect from the event?
I read about the opportunity to exhibit artwork related to Maltese Culture through Outdoor Artists’ social media platforms. I was intrigued by this artistic and cultural initiative. Therefore I decided to finish a project that I had started last year. I will be exhibiting a set of lino prints that I started working on while studying abroad. The distance from home led me to further reflect on my own identity as Maltese. In the lino prints that I will be exhibiting I study in further detail the elements of Maltese spirituality and lifestyle. I question tradition and reflect on its effects on my own perceptions. I am looking forward to share this with the people who will visit ‘il-Kotra’.
6. Have you ever exhibited before? If so, where?
I’ve only exhibited once before. It was in the UK and it was part of my final dissertation that dealt with therapist self-care when working with women who experience domestic abuse. In that case I exhibited a set of ink portraits symbolising feelings associated with domestic abuse and a glass installation that symbolised the client – therapist relationship. I am now excited for my first exhibition in Malta.
Anne Marie Mifsud
1. How long have you been in the arts scene?
I always remember myself being creative, even at a young age, but I have been painting and drawing for the past 10 years.
2. Which is your favorite medium and why?
Acrylic on canvas is my favourite medium, although I enjoy working with pencil colours, pencils and pens. During the past 3 years I have worked as well on tattoos.
3. Are you a self-thought artist Or did you study? in case you did study, where did you study at?
I am a self-taught artist. I love researching other artist’s work to keep myself updated.
4. What do you think about the arts scene in Malta?
As an artist I think we need more exposure in Malta, although the situation has slightly improved during the past years.
5. What motivated you to apply to exhibit in il-kotra? And what do you expect from the event?
I think it’s nice to connect with groups who have the same interests and this will give me the opportunity to make new contacts.
6. Have you ever exhibited before? If so, where?
I had paintings exhibited in shops and a few collective exhibitions, but lately I am more into artistic live performances, i.e. painting en-plein air.
Cheryl Bilocca
1. How long have you been in the arts scene?
I have currently been getting involved in the arts scene; this is actually my first exhibition. I have always wanted to get involved in this type of environment, though as I have always been studying art, I never actually had the time to get involved in something like this.
2. Which is your favourite medium and why?
I usually work with acrylic mostly; this is because you can do loads of things with it in terms of its content. I love using different techniques when it comes to painting and with acrylic I have the freedom of doing so.
3. Are you a self-thought artist Or did you study? in case you did study, where did you study at?
Right now and I am currently studying Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts at the University of Malta. Last semester I also got the opportunity to go on Erasmus+ and studied at Bradford College in the UK.
4. What do you think about the arts scene in Malta?
From what I can see is that there are growing opportunities in Malta. Thanks to Outdoor Aritsts, various artists in different art scenes started to network together. The fact that Valletta has been chosen to be the cultural capital city is giving a lot of opportunities to expressive artists.
5. What motivated you to apply to exhibit in il-kotra? And what do you expect from the event?
I always had the ambition to exhibit and when this opportunity
came up, I decided to go for it. What also intrigued me was the fact that is something done by Maltese artists and the sense of patriotism behind it. Also the fact that a lot of people are expected to attend this event can be of a good opportunity for me as an artist.
6. Have you ever exhibited before? If so, where?
I have never exhibited before due to school projects,
assignments and other commitments, I never really looked for these
opportunities. However I personally think that this event will lead me to other projects.
Rebecca Bartolo
1. How long have you been in the arts scene?
Basically I have never connected with other artistic groups or
artists apart from what my studies require me to do . I am still new to what there is in the arts scene both in Malta and internationally . I am eager to continue to explore the arts scene.
2. Which is your favorite medium and why?
Acrylic is definitely my favourite medium. As an artist,I generally have a very broad style since I love to explore different ideas. However during the painting process I always use acrylic and combine it with multiple materials such as glass, mirrors, canvas, cardboard and cloth . Also I make use of acrylic diversely by changing the paint’s consistency when attempting different techniques , such as adding lots of water and mixing it before I do a dip and dry or paint running technique, ( Jackson Pollock also applied this style ).
3. Are you a self-thought artist Or did you study? in case you
did study, where did you study at?
I have been drawing since I was a child and I have attended private
lessons since I was around the age of five. From there onwards I
pursued my studies to O'level standard and continued with the A'level exams. Furthermore I continued developing my artistic talent on a
slightly different sector; at the University of Malta, following a Digital Arts course. This basically includes digital art such as animation , character design and graphic design. Right now I am in my second year at University and one thing that helped me find my style was the push University gives you to encourage you work harder and in a leniant and organized way.
4. What do you think about the arts scene in Malta?
To be honest having always delved into the studying side of
art I am not very knowledgeable about what was or is going on
, however I noticed a drastic increase in opportunities due to Valletta 2018 . Apart from these opportunities I find that nowadays the Maltese in general are more aware of artists and have a better appreciation of art, yet once more this is based on my little knowledge of the Maltese artistic market.
5. What motivated you to apply to exhibit in il-kotra? And what
do you expect from the event?
I always wanted to participate at an exhibition, yet time
restrictions always kept me in postponing. This is also due to my
continuous studies being my main priority at the moment. Hence, when I found out about Outdoor artists and their collaboration with Kotra I was quite interested and just decided to apply and create some tester
material. I honestly have never participated in an exhibition and I am trying to keep my expectations balanced. I want it to be a memorable experience where the main aspect would be showcasing my work.
6. Have you ever exhibited before? If so, where?
I have never exhibited before due to the fact that I have been quite busy during my University years. At the moment I am still developing my skills,and I barely find time to work on an actual piece of Art, thus I look forward I finish my studies and dedicate more time to painting.