Pauleen Micallef is currently holding an exhibition titled Landmarks of Malta.
The exhibition is a retrospective in plein-air consisting of paintings chosen from her previous works.
The works may bring nostalgia to viewers as they present images of how Malta looked before development took its toll to progress or, as the artist says, at times to regress.
Some examples include the Salini Huts as they were before being replaced by more modern woodern structures; The Maċina in Vittoriosa, a painting that presents a glimpse through the famous tunnel in Vittoriosa that the artist remembers painting with the late Norwegian artist Oulag Vethal.
At the time, the artist says, they could only see greenery before buildings took over the view. One particular painting, Santi, depicts the limits of Mġarr and brings back memories of an aging community that has died out today.
Micallef recalls how she made friends with the simple and friendly folk of the area while painting in plein-air together with other artists.
These would often invite the artists for coffee and biscuits, sharing anecdotes with them.
Unfortunately, today the artist says that this community is gone and forgotten.
Other paintings includeviews of familiar landscapes, particularly of Mdina.
The exhibition, at Damiano’s, St Paul’s Bay, is on until April 30.
For more information call 9940 3764.
www.pauleensart.eu