Images of homeland
Ruth Schembri, a Maltese artist living in Dubai, captures the many facets of the local landscape and seascape with her unique style. Louis Laganà reviews her first solo art exhibition in Malta
Reminiscence is the title of an art exhibition of paintings by Maltese artist Ruth Schembri who in the past eight years has been living in Dubai. In fact her first personal art show, Chromatic Inspirations, was held at the Art Attack Gallery in Jumeirah, Dubai, last June. She is now holding an exhibition of her paintings in Malta. Her interest in art dates back to her childhood days when she started to take art lessons at local schools. Later she was tutored in drawing and painting by prominent artist Anton Calleja at Palazzo De La Salle.
Ms Schembri never stopped experimenting with various mediums, but her great challenge was to master watercolour, her favourite medium. She was mostly influenced by the style of two great masters of watercolour, namely Austrian Bernard Vogel and Shirley Trevena. Today Ms Schembri teaches watercolour at two major art schools in Dubai - at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre and Dubai International Arts Centre. During these past few years the artist also participated in a number of collective art exhibitions locally and abroad.
Many local and foreign artists have documented the Maltese landscape in various ways throughout the years but very few have left a significant mark. In this art exhibition, Ms Schembri is showing her unique style in watercolour. She captures Maltese scenes with an innovative approach, in a different way than how other artists usually work especially when using this medium. Style is a very important aspect in the career of an artist. It is the diagnostic tool to distinguish a particular artist from another or a period in art history. The great Lithuanian art historian Meyer Schapiro described the importance of style, as "the constant form... the constant elements, qualities and expression in the art of an individual."
Ms Schembri successfully created a series of snapshots of the local countryside illustrating churches, chapels, fields, towers and streets. These watercolour and ink paintings reveal the artist's rigorous study of design and the discipline of good draughtsmanship she acquired throughout the years of art practice.
Her watercolour compositions provide the viewers with scenes that evoke a personal response and conjure up fond memories or simply help people appreciate the spectacular beauty offered by the local landscape that surrounds them. Her images are not static. Ms Schembri's emotions are mostly expressed through the echoes of lines and movement in forms. Yet the artist does not eliminate the importance of good use of perspective and foreshortening. She has a deep understanding and observation of the natural forms, atmospheric light and compositional analysis. This is found for example in Street in Valletta, where the artist based her composition on verticals employing contrasts of colour to construct the structure of the old buildings in Valletta.
Perhaps one of the strongest works in this collection is the depiction of the saltpans found at Marsascala. Here the artist worked on a quasi-abstract composition stressing more on forms and spaces. A clean blend of the meticulously and realistically painted rocks mixed with the abstract qualities of the sky and the sea create an unusual atmosphere. Her use of invigorating colour and textures reflects her desire to create works that inspire optimism and the vitality of the Maltese scenery.
With her signature style expressed with swirls and curves in poignant colours and ink, Ms Schembri created also interesting seascapes like for example Cliffs at Ta' Cenc, L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha, Qalet Marku Tower, Comino Tower and the famous Azure Window at Dwejra in Gozo. The fascinating aspect of her work is that every single painting has its own personality; it says something different from what the other paintings say. Behind each work there is a story. The artist succeeds in producing works with marked poetical fancies and lyricism from the way of their conception to the final brush stokes of paint.
In this exhibition sailing boats are another favourite subject and a good source of inspiration for Ms Schembri. Perhaps Marsaxlokk is the best place for the artist to work on this theme. In her works called Boats at Marsaxlokk and Fishing Boats at Marsaxlokk, she focused mostly on the colourful surface and reflections of the images of boats in water. It is this great nostalgia for the past that urged the artist to present to us these visual reminders, and therefore supplement our memories, and help us recreate scenes which sometimes are lost.
Ms Schembri adores Malta, especially its heritage, architecture, people and lifestyle and since she lives away from our islands she feels a crave for creating Maltese images.
I am sure that she will continue to develop further her style by experimenting with other themes and perhaps even by using other mediums to achieve a greater satisfaction not just for herself but also for the viewers.
• Reminiscence runs at Vee Gee Bee Gallery until Saturday.
Ms Schembri never stopped experimenting with various mediums, but her great challenge was to master watercolour, her favourite medium. She was mostly influenced by the style of two great masters of watercolour, namely Austrian Bernard Vogel and Shirley Trevena. Today Ms Schembri teaches watercolour at two major art schools in Dubai - at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre and Dubai International Arts Centre. During these past few years the artist also participated in a number of collective art exhibitions locally and abroad.
Many local and foreign artists have documented the Maltese landscape in various ways throughout the years but very few have left a significant mark. In this art exhibition, Ms Schembri is showing her unique style in watercolour. She captures Maltese scenes with an innovative approach, in a different way than how other artists usually work especially when using this medium. Style is a very important aspect in the career of an artist. It is the diagnostic tool to distinguish a particular artist from another or a period in art history. The great Lithuanian art historian Meyer Schapiro described the importance of style, as "the constant form... the constant elements, qualities and expression in the art of an individual."
Ms Schembri successfully created a series of snapshots of the local countryside illustrating churches, chapels, fields, towers and streets. These watercolour and ink paintings reveal the artist's rigorous study of design and the discipline of good draughtsmanship she acquired throughout the years of art practice.
Her watercolour compositions provide the viewers with scenes that evoke a personal response and conjure up fond memories or simply help people appreciate the spectacular beauty offered by the local landscape that surrounds them. Her images are not static. Ms Schembri's emotions are mostly expressed through the echoes of lines and movement in forms. Yet the artist does not eliminate the importance of good use of perspective and foreshortening. She has a deep understanding and observation of the natural forms, atmospheric light and compositional analysis. This is found for example in Street in Valletta, where the artist based her composition on verticals employing contrasts of colour to construct the structure of the old buildings in Valletta.
Perhaps one of the strongest works in this collection is the depiction of the saltpans found at Marsascala. Here the artist worked on a quasi-abstract composition stressing more on forms and spaces. A clean blend of the meticulously and realistically painted rocks mixed with the abstract qualities of the sky and the sea create an unusual atmosphere. Her use of invigorating colour and textures reflects her desire to create works that inspire optimism and the vitality of the Maltese scenery.
With her signature style expressed with swirls and curves in poignant colours and ink, Ms Schembri created also interesting seascapes like for example Cliffs at Ta' Cenc, L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha, Qalet Marku Tower, Comino Tower and the famous Azure Window at Dwejra in Gozo. The fascinating aspect of her work is that every single painting has its own personality; it says something different from what the other paintings say. Behind each work there is a story. The artist succeeds in producing works with marked poetical fancies and lyricism from the way of their conception to the final brush stokes of paint.
In this exhibition sailing boats are another favourite subject and a good source of inspiration for Ms Schembri. Perhaps Marsaxlokk is the best place for the artist to work on this theme. In her works called Boats at Marsaxlokk and Fishing Boats at Marsaxlokk, she focused mostly on the colourful surface and reflections of the images of boats in water. It is this great nostalgia for the past that urged the artist to present to us these visual reminders, and therefore supplement our memories, and help us recreate scenes which sometimes are lost.
Ms Schembri adores Malta, especially its heritage, architecture, people and lifestyle and since she lives away from our islands she feels a crave for creating Maltese images.
I am sure that she will continue to develop further her style by experimenting with other themes and perhaps even by using other mediums to achieve a greater satisfaction not just for herself but also for the viewers.
• Reminiscence runs at Vee Gee Bee Gallery until Saturday.