Exquisite Art Collection on Display at The Phoenicia Malta This Month
Malta coastline by Edward Read
‘Through the Eyes of a Collector’ offers a rare glimpse into the private collection of an avid art enthusiast, showcasing a diverse array of artworks that span various periods, styles, and mediums. This exhibition is curated by Dr Charlene Vella, and is open at the Palm Court Lounge, at The Phoenicia Malta, throughout the month of July.
This unique display is a testament to the collector’s keen eye for beauty, historical significance, and artistic innovation.
The exhibition’s central theme revolves around the collector’s personal journey and evolving tastes over several decades. Each piece selected for this showcase tells a part of a much larger narrative, reflecting different facets of the history of art but also the collector’s own experiences and passion. Visitors are invited to explore how personal preferences and cultural contexts have influenced the curation of the collection over time.
Most of the paintings collected were acquired directly from the artists themselves, and they therefore have an impeccable provenance.
The exhibition largely features modern art that spans much of the twentieth century, illustrating the collector’s ongoing engagement with the art world. There are also artworks by living artists. This allows viewers to also come into contact with artworks by such artists that have been in private hands for several years and therefore never before seen by the public at large.
Pieces by Carmelo Mangion, John Borg Manduca, Francis Xavier Vassallo, Raymond Pitré, Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Alex Dalli, Mary de Piro, and Tonio Mallia are among the local artists. Among the foreigners, there are paintings by Emmanuel Levy, Peter Quinn, Joël Circhanski-Deleuze, Lucille Cranwell, Edward Read, Sybella Stiles, Vladimir Velechko, Tristram Ellis, among others.
In one way or another, each artist and artwork is connected to Malta, and if not directly to Malta, to the collector.
There are several highlights in this exhibition, including several paintings of the Second World War, as seen through Maltese eyes. These are vivid paintings of submarines, a riad taking place in Siġġiewi on Christmas Eve in 1942, a wartime parade at King’s Gate in Valletta, and scenes of Sliema Ferries and Għar id-Dud, back in the day.
Pjazza Regina Valletta by FX Vassallo
Gozo scene by Emmanuel Levy
Joël Circhanski-Deleuze is a French artist who lives and works in Malta. He graduated from the School of Interior Design & Architecture in Bordeaux, France and then he moved to Florida, USA, in 1990. In 1995, he participated in several major exhibitions between New York and Florida, such as the Hall of Frame – DGP Art Palm Beach, Kenneth Raymond Gallery, Boca Raton, and Alexi-Chelsea Gallery, New York. He has a permanent exhibition at the Galerie des Remparts in Bordeaux, Gironde, and has received several awards and medals. He is due to be holding a debut solo exhibition in Malta.
As mentioned above, the collection also includes paintings by female artists, including a rather unknown woman documented as G. Castaldi. She is reputed to have been active in the 1920s and 1930s and was a student of Edward Caruana Dingli. As often happened with females active in the early twentieth century, their art was forgotten and it, therefore, needs to be rediscovered and made known. Any information about this artist would be welcomed by the curator.
“Through the Eyes of a Collector” offers a small glimpse into the world of art collecting, as seen and experienced by one passionate individual. It offers visitors a chance to not only admire unique paintings but also to gain insight into the art of collecting that makes each piece so significant.
