What happens when a Danish metal artist meets a Maltese writer and illustrator? Ramona Depares interviews Marie Louise Kold and Ġorġ Mallia, a couple whose very relationship is defined by their creativity.

If the words ‘power couple’ were to be a good fit in the creative spheres, I would say that these two are Malta’s topmost creative power couple. But we all know that creativity is not about power, so I will just say that Ġorġ Mallia – illustrator and writer extraordinaire, and head of the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Malta, to boot – and Danish-born artist Marie Louise Kold are two people who spark creativity off each other, in between a good-humoured joke or two.

I turn up for the interview at the couple’s apartment in Msida, greeted by espresso and chocolate lava cakes, freshly-baked by Marie Louise – or Lou, as Ġorġ affectionately calls her. Scattered around their home are various pieces of art, both by others and which they created themselves. I spy Ġorġ’s trademark strokes, and Lou’s incredibly intricate metal works. They explain how each piece came to life, and their enthusiasm is contagious. These are two people who genuinely love each other and what they do.

Ġorġ, of course, is a very well-known name on the local front. One of the brains behind the now-defunct school magazine Sagħtar, he has written numerous children’s and adult books, while his cartoons – often an incisive social commentary within themselves – have been published on most local media.

The Danish-born Lou is equally well-known in Malta’s artistic circles. As a metal artist, Lou’s methodology is hardly common or simple, as she creates art pieces using copper, bronze and brass. The technique she uses finds its roots in the tradition of copper printing, with the etched and patinated metal becoming the actual artwork, as opposed to being used to print with. Lou’s art has been exhibited extensively, both in Malta and countries like the US, Greece, France, Denmark, Sweden and others.

Ġorġ chuckles and points out that there were no romantic feelings at all then, but even if there had been, in his eyes Lou was practically a student, which would have meant that there was a definite barrier

You would think that two such diverse artforms as Ġorġ’s and Lou’s would not really cross paths, let alone merge so effectively into one life. And yet, this is exactly what they did one artistic weekend in The Netherlands many years ago, when Ġorġ was giving a talk at a music and arts retreat which Lou was attending with her then-boyfriend.

“I was 19-years-old and I remember we had come down by bike, all the way from Sweden. This was a Christian artists’ workshop, so males and females had separate living quarters, which meant I barely saw my boyfriend. He was there for the music aspect, while I was there for the art. But I was fascinated by Ġorġ’s workshop and we got talking afterwards,” Lou remembers.

The seeds were sown that night for – if not immediately for the love story that would eventually develop – a strong friendship. Ġorġ chuckles and points out that there were no romantic feelings at all then, but even if there had been, in his eyes Lou was practically a student, which would have meant that there was a definite barrier.

“When we first met, it was a bit of a mentor-mentee situation. I remember Lou explaining how she felt that there was no outlet for her art in the small Swedish town where she lived. You could say that our friendship started blossoming around these kind of discussions.” In fact, Lou adds, it was pretty much thanks to Ġorġ’s advice, a number of years later, that her artistic career took its first considerable leap into the viable.

“At the time, I was the embodiment of the struggling artist, trying to find a way to keep doing it full-time. Ġorġ then suggested that I print a catalogue. In Sweden, this is something that only established artists would do, not someone who was just starting. I have to admit that I was very sceptical. I didn’t want to spend money that I didn’t have,” Lou recollects. However, Ġorġ’s insistence convinced her; the results, she says, were “instantaneous”.

“I had been contacting all the art galleries for ages, and most would not even acknowledge my letters. Suddenly, all it took was one look at the catalogue and they were calling me. I was amazed. I could almost pinpoint the exact hour in which they would have received it.”

She turns to Ġorġ, with a: “See, you really were my mentor.” He grins, adding: “People are like that. If you give off the idea that you are already successful, they are more likely to be taken seriously. It’s human nature.”

Years went by and Ġorġ and Lou kept in touch – later Ġorġ started lecturing in Sweden, and they sometimes met in Malmö, where she had relocated. And still, the thought of an actual relationship would not cross the mind of either before many years later. Lou’s eyes sparkle at the memory of how it came to happen.

“Well, Ġorġ was on one of his visits to Sweden and I had planned to meet up with him for dinner. I was giggling away, putting make-up on and getting ready, when suddenly it hit me. I was behaving as though this were a date! I was floored for a moment, because I had never thought of our relationship from that angle,” she tells me. Ġorg interjects, laughing.

“I can confirm... it was a date. That evening changed everything. I honestly would not have expected things to develop in that direction. It was a shock; I suppose, we both had our paths planned.” He adds, refreshingly bluntly, that from his end there was also the age difference to consider.

She always says that it doesn’t make a difference, but reality is that she is 42, while I’m 58

“She always says that it doesn’t make a difference, but reality is that she is 42, while I’m 58.” Lou shakes her head – “It’s true. It does not matter.” And, looking at the two of them together, it is easy to tell that it really doesn’t. In fact, Ġorġ says that the biggest challenge to deal with is certainly not the age difference. Rather, it is the long distance that often comes between them as of necessity.

“I have my academic work here in Malta, while Lou’s studio is in Malmö. Being a metal artist, it’s not like she can just up and do it from anywhere. Moreover, while she’s doing really well in Malta, most of her clients are in Scandinavia, and the artwork isn’t the sort that can be easily shipped. We regularly have to spend time apart, according to necessity.”

Lou nods, adding that either of them giving up facets of their career was out of the question. Of course, creativity is important to the both of them and, Ġorġ explains, both of them contribute to each other’s careers in small, but significant, ways.

“For example, I will suggest something to Lou and, what she eventually creates out of it will be completely different to what I would have been envisioning. Yet, she will tell me that the seeds for the idea would have been sown by me,” Ġorġ explains.

Lou adds that, despite the fact their art is so different, it does overlap in some areas – even if only with potential ideas.

“When I’m stuck in my academic writing, I go back to writing for children and, honestly, I couldn’t do it without Lou. I share all my ideas with her and she gives constant feedback. She even comes up with new characters for me that I would never have dreamed of,” he continues.

And it’s the same for Lou, she says.

“We are definitely in each other’s fan clubs and we really encourage that creative spark, instead of doing what too many others do and shoot each other down. And, of course, even when we’re not together we are constantly in touch, we’re pretty in sync with each other’s thoughts,” Lou says.

Ġorġ elaborates: “Very often, we send text messages to each other simultaneously. Maybe it is because we’ve known each other for so long that we know each other very well, and that includes the bad parts.”

“And the messages themselves are often synced too, like we’ll have the same idea at the same time. Mind you, Ġorġ has some Swedish traits in him, while I do have my Mediterranean moments,” Lou finishes off.

Stopping to think for a second, Ġorġ adds that their relationship might be described as ‘unity in diversity’, a concept inspired by what he tells me is his favourite D.H. Lawrence work, The Rainbow.
“It’s difficult to know where either of us stops and the other begins, but then again we are also fiercely independent,” Ġorġ concludes. Whatever these two are doing, it clearly works.

http://www.mlkold.com; http://www.gorgmallia.com

The interview first appeared in last Sunday's edition of The Circle

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.