Mention of self-portraits for me immediately conjures up images of Rembrandt, Frida or Van Gogh, three very different artists who have immortalised themselves for posterity in suggestive and memorable ways.

All three had very different concepts of how to depict themselves, but the aim was the same.

To capture their likeness but also, and probably more importantly, their current state of mind. Self-portraits are therefore, inde-lible records and convey messages to the viewer.

When 20 artists are given a brief to submit a work in any 2D media, the result is bound to be an assortment of styles, media and technical ability.

A current exhibition in Valletta has done just that. Twenty very different artists were approached, and their works hang side by side, with the only common denominator being an image (I am using this term loosely) of themselves.

The multimedia exhibition title, Selfie, plays on the contemporary notion of taking a photograph of oneself, a self-portrait.

In this exhibition, however, only two exponents chose to display photographs of themselves and even these were not what one would expect of a traditional (also being used loosely) selfie.

Patrick Dalli

The cult of the selfie has, among other things, highlighted a generation’s self-obsession. But can the artists in this exhibition be called self-obsessed?

This element of narcissism is probably why Tonio Mallia did not portray himself, but has chosen to exhibit Narcissus (acrylic on board, 2014), in which he plays on Caravaggio’s rendition of the theme of the boy in Greek mythology who was enamoured with his own image in the water.

An introverted view of self is presented by Alex Dalli in Looking at myself which has been over a decade in the making (mixed media, 2000-13).

The most abstract is Reuben Pace’s Me, myself and something else (2000, audio composition). Pace, a music composer, selected 10 tracks that provide an idea of his being, an ethereal presence, if you like.

Among the painted self-portraits was Patrick Dalli’s Untitled version (oil on canvas, 2010). The confident and frontally depicted artwork together with the definitive brushstrokes and texture evoke a true sense of the artist.

Self-portraits are, therefore, indelible records and convey messages to the viewer

Another very painterly contribution is Debbie Caruana Dingli’s Tactile Selfie (oil on canvas, 2015) which is intriguing for the loose manner in which it was executed, and the solemn atmosphere it conveys.

It allows an insight into how the artist truly sees herself, which is not necessarily what one sees when meeting the artist.

James Vella Clark

Colour is a major protagonist in Rune Bo Jakobsen’s Golden and in Arthur Aquilina’s Revealed (both acrylic on canvas, 2014), in both of which the viewer is to directly confront a depiction expressing different moods.

James Vella Clark’s Untitled (pencil on paper, 2014) drawing has a tangible presence and leaves a lasting effect. It is among the simpler of the exhibits, but the sombre mood is effective and poignant.

Creativity was taken to other lengths by some of the contributors, such as Victor Agius’s Jien (clay slip-print, 2014), in which the viewer literally sees a print of his face on cotton. Quite random a choice, but among the more memorable.

As a leading hyperrealist painter, it is no wonder that Darren Tanti chose to associate himself with the 19th-century realist genius, Gustave Courbet, and particularly one of the most epic self-portraits of all time, The Desperate Man, albeit using it in a completely different context (Selfie with Courbet and Mickey, 2014, oil on canvas).

Daniella Attard

Daniella Attard’s distinctive self-portrait is among the first to greet you, executed in her memorable style, in which the alter ego makes an appearance.

All in all, the exhibition reached its aim of forming an exhibition of a ‘strong diverse visual language’ and it does show-case a wide range of possibil-ities in which the self can be artistically portrayed.

The exhibition was, however, quite crowded and the works were not given the necessary space in which to be comprehensively viewed. Also, the selection of works could have been better vetted.

Selfie shows at Studio 104, St Lucy Street, Valletta, until October 25.