Qawl Milbus Exhibition to Open at the Malta Society of Arts This September
Qawl Milbus is collaborative exhibition by contemporary jewellery artist Nadège Cassar and artist and painter Alfie Gatt, reimagining Maltese proverbs through the intersection of contemporary jewellery and fine art. On view at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta from 25 September to 16 October.
The exhibition Qawl Milbus (“Worn Proverbs”) will feature 20 collaborative artworks, incorporating up to 40 individual jewellery pieces. It is the outcome of a project developed with funding support from the Malta Crafts Foundation. The artists sought to ground their collaborative project in a traditional cultural context, which led them to use Maltese proverbs as a reference point: “Proverbs are an important part of our language and cultural identity, and we were interested in exploring how these familiar sayings could be translated into visual and material forms.”
The exhibited art works thus sit at the intersection between jewellery, painting and Maltese storytelling, adding their own contemporary twist to traditional oral culture. They draw inspiration from the richness of the Maltese language and “the way proverbs have traditionally been used to communicate experiences, observations, humour and wisdom in just a few words.” The artists wanted “to take these familiar expressions out of their usual context and give them a new visual and material life.”
Each work explores a different Maltese proverb through a combination of painting, illustration, jewellery and sculptural elements. “The pieces vary in scale, materials and approach, but all share the idea of translating language and cultural references into visual and tangible forms.”
Nadège works with a range of materials including silver, copper, gemstones and various stones, while Alfie’s work incorporates ink, watercolour and oil painting, using different surfaces including wood, paper and stone. The artists used various combinations of these materials to develop a unique visual language for each proverb. The artists describe their process: “The design stage is particularly important. We look for a strong silhouette and composition while trying not to make the interpretation too direct or literal. We are open to abstract shapes, forms and expressions, allowing the meaning of the proverb to emerge rather than simply illustrating it.” Their collaboration is “deliberately fluid”, with the painting and jewellery mutually influencing each other throughout.
Some works incorporate fine art directly into the jewellery, while others are presented as sculptural wall pieces where handcrafted jewellery is seamlessly integrated into the composition. These works exist simultaneously as complete works of art and as wearable objects, allowing the jewellery to be carefully removed, worn, and returned to the artwork.
Translated into different media, a familiar proverb that may be familiar to the viewer can suddenly be experienced through a different lens, where its meaning emerges from the relationship between painting, form and jewellery. The artists are particularly interested in “this space between the familiar and the unexpected: the viewer may recognise the proverb, but the visual interpretation gives them a new way of considering it.” They note that “Maltese proverbs carry generations of stories, observations and humour, and they are part of a living language [that] can continue to evolve and find new forms of expression.”
For further information, including opening hours, visit www.artsmalta.org. During Notte Bianca on Saturday, 3rd October, the exhibition will also be open between 4.30-11.30pm.
