Though Preca and Falzon never met, their works now share the same rooms, speaking to each other across decades.

Preca, one of Malta’s most important modernists, spent his life between Rome and Malta. His art ranged widely, including portraits, religious scenes, and even imagined figures, yet his still lifes are among his most radical works. Rather than simply arranging fruit and flowers, Preca used the genre to explore time, memory, and abstraction. His son, Massimo Preca, notes that these works were part of his father’s lifelong search for synthesis, edging towards a freer, more experimental style.

Bringing these paintings back to the Malta Society of Arts is a kind of homecoming. Preca was a member of the Society as early as 1939 and exhibited here in the 1950s. To see his canvases again on these walls is both a tribute and a renewal.

Enter Ryan Falzon, best known for his bold, politically charged paintings. More recently, his practice has turned towards the domestic: plants, interiors, and the quiet rituals of daily life. These themes, sharpened during the pandemic years, now serve as his contribution to the exhibition, not as mimicry, but as conversation. Falzon himself describes the process as humbling, yet also affirming, positioning him as a bridge between Malta’s modernist past and its contemporary voice.

The exhibition doesn’t stop at canvases. Visitors will also encounter objects drawn from both artists’ studios, including chairs, tools, and even well-worn furniture, each carrying its own sense of memory. It’s thoughtful staging that encourages us to pause, resist rushing, and engage with stillness as a rare privilege.

Whether you’re an art lover or simply curious, Still Life | Life, Still is a chance to experience Maltese culture through two very different but surprisingly connected lenses. And with free entry, it’s the perfect cultural stop on your wander through Valletta.