Through a series of staged encounters, Zarb transforms ordinary armchairs into both stage and protagonist. Female sitters occupy these domestic objects in varied states, masked, semi-dressed, or nude, each pose negotiating a delicate tension between intimacy and control. Recurring motifs, such as oversized books concealing faces, invite reflection on the interplay of intellect, eroticism, and visibility. The works highlight Zarb’s skill in manipulating light and camera techniques to create layers of narrative and emotional resonance.

Historically a symbol of authority, status, and private leisure, the armchair in Zarb’s series becomes a silent observer, a podium for performance, and a playful instrument for reimagining the human form. The exhibition presents the armchair as a witness to gestures, secrets, and theatricality, transforming domestic familiarity into a site of intrigue.

Andrew E Zarb, born in 1989 in Malta, is a self-taught photographer known for his quiet, contemplative approach. Working with both digital and analogue formats, he captures emotion and narrative through a careful attention to light, composition, and subject engagement. Zarb’s work has been exhibited widely in Malta and internationally, including a major collective show in Venice.

Memoirs of an Armchair is curated by Melanie Erixon, with an opening night on 10 April at 7:30 pm. The exhibition invites visitors to consider the subtle power dynamics between sitter, object, and viewer, and to experience the intimacy and theatricality of Zarb’s photographic memoirs.