Artist laments lack of support for overseas exhibitions

Artist James Vella Clark, who is in the process of organising his second overseas solo exhibition this year, is disappointed with the lack of support from the local end.

The authorities were failing to recognise that Maltese art exhibitions overseas were a means and an opportunity to promote Malta, he said, adding he intended to fight for it.

Mr Vella Clark's Berlin exhibition closes on Sunday after a month and he is fast following it up with another in Kampen in The Netherlands.

Bank of Valletta and the Council for Culture and the Arts have chipped in but the artist finds it hard to understand why companies and authorities in general are prepared to throw thousands of liri into billboards and other forms of promotional material but not in sponsoring a cultural event that should have positive promotional repercussions on Malta and its tourism product.

"I found more support from foreigners than from Malta," he said, expressing his embarrassment at having to admit to foreign backing that local assistance is not forthcoming.

Mr Vella Clark has invested in publishing another high-quality 40-page catalogue for his upcoming exhibition and was willing to give something back to those who backed him up. The catalogue, depicting his images - mostly landscapes - portrays the colours of Malta and would have served as effective indirect promotional material, he maintained.

The exhibition inauguration will also be featuring Maltese wines and music by pianist Maria Blanco.

Mr Vella Clark has already participated in three international collective exhibitions but going solo this year was a breakthrough for him.

"It takes some luck - a Dutchman happened to take a liking to a piece of work I submitted to an exhibition at the Manoel Theatre last year, so much so that he is financing the project," he said.

"I happened to be in the right place at the right time but it is also a matter of determination and the will to take risks, which some artists might not be up for."

Apart from the commitment to complete the paintings in time, the risks are not only logistical but also financial. "I have to send over my paintings and if I do not sell any, I run at a loss.

"In Berlin, I sold five out of the 15 available, which covered my costs, so it was worth it. Exhibiting abroad is good for the profile."

Mr Vella Clark believes that "an artist should not just be courageous in his style but also in his approach to the whole thing".

The Kampen exhibition will be open between May 28 and July 2. It is being held in a 19th century synagogue, which has been transformed into a gallery hosting around eight exhibitions a year and making it a point to have two foreign artists. Mr Vella Clark is one of the two for this year. He is exhibiting 30 paintings, which he created specifically for the exhibition and which he has described as "more abstract" than his previous works, with more use of greens and earthy colours.

As an innovative touch, he has replaced some "painted cubes" - typical of his technique - with pieces of mirror, following on the heels of his use of gold and silver foil. "The idea is that you become part of the painting when you see yourself in it," he said of the experiment.

The canvases are also much larger, measuring around one metre square, he said.

Exhibiting overseas is a big deal for a Maltese artist because the island is so cut off, Mr Vella Clark maintained. He is excited about the hype surrounding the event and feels he is less tense because he is learning the ropes.

In an interview last year, Mr Vella Clark was asked where he saw himself in a year's time. He had answered that his ambition was to have an international exhibition. A year later, he is on his second.

Asked what his next goal is, the artist dreams of seeking representation in a gallery abroad - in the UK, or anywhere.

Nevertheless, he does not intend to abandon the Maltese market, irrespective of how limited it is. "There are so many people out there who have never bought a painting... and it is such an important experience."