Sean Mallia is presenting his first exhibition focused on food photography as an objet d’art.

For Gastrografija, Mallia, who often works as a commercial food photographer, chose not to be influenced by a client, thus allowing himself the artistic freedom he is used to as a practitioner with a design and concept oriented background. The aim of the work contained in this exhibition is precisely that of experimenting on a blank canvas while honing his skills in visual making through photography.

The exhibition is about form, colour, food, texture and the perennial tussle between order and disorder, focusing on the fact that even in order there is a certain amount of disorder.

Mallia’s approach for Gastrografija varied to that normally adopted by designers or architects who first carry out research to then come up with a concept which is designed and implemented. Rather, here Mallia first came up with a basic idea that saw him wanting to create several sets of prints to then allow the viewer the space to come up with his or her own interpretation of the work.

To do this, he selected the background and then proceeded to compliment it with an interesting composition on the foreground. The featured backgrounds are of two different sorts, some are comprised of plain, vibrant colours while the others bring out the texture of the material used, from stone to wood textures.

Following this, Mallia shopped for the food items, a process the artist describes as most enjoyable. He made sure to choose items that have interesting textures, form and colours that complement the backgrounds. Once all this was in hand, he could then begin to lay everything out and start to compose and play with lighting.

Mallia describes the News Fish as being the most thought-provoking of the series. The idea of using red (a colour which is often associated with danger), a dead fish and a newspaper with a report on the migrant crisis, many of whom are lost at sea, is not perhaps the prettiest image, but surely one that provokes a reaction from the viewer.

Mallia is an interior and graphic designer, a commercial photographer and passionate about architecture. To Mallia, life, like his photography, is all about contradictions, contrasts, interpretation. He is a perfectionist who keeps challenging himself way beyond the remit he has for any job or shoot. Mallia works mostly alone and does his own styling. However, he also enjoys collaborating with chefs, stylists and clients who give their own input, although the final touches are in his hands.

■ Gastrografija is currently showing at Palazzo de Piro in Mdina until end January. Exhibition hours are from 10am to 5pm. For more information, visit www.seanmallia.com.