Some traits run in families. Art seems to be one of them. Artistic heritage seems to proliferate from one generation on to the next and the Maltese artistic scene is no exception. When Karmen and Philip Grima of Gallery G, decided to organise a collective art exhibition with a difference, they honed in on family ties.
"We had become acquainted with several artists from past exhibitions and discovered unknown and surprising links between them, especially after our 10 Watercolourists collective. Both Karmen and myself have personal family links with important artists - my sister is Anna Grima, my aunt is Blanche Ellul Sullivan; Karmen's uncle is Arnold Sultana and her cousin is Nicola Sultana. This got the ball rolling as we started thinking around all the 'family connected' artists on the islands. It prompted Karmen to come up with the proposal, 'Why not do a big collective?' And that is how we involved all the diverse artistic families on board this exhibition," explained Mr Grima.
And so The Bloodline came to be, incorporating a list of 17 artists hailing from seven different family lines. Some artists are contemporary, some not, with works whose dates span well over a century of artistic development. And the string of names attached to this collective are certainly enough to make any art historian sit up and check out the interesting genealogy. It is a living opportunity to sift through Malta's artistic past and the accomplishments of some of the major exponents who have left an indelible mark on our creative heritage.
"When we proposed the idea, it stirred up a great deal of excitement. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm where ancestry lines are involved, especially since some of the ancestral links yield such beautiful works," added Ms Grima.
The artists whose works are exhibited in the exhibition are: the late Giuseppe Calì (d.1930), his great grand-daughter Mary de Piro and her niece Philippa Bianchi;
the late Edward Caruana Dingli (d.1950), his brother the late Robert Caruana Dingli (d.1940) and Robert Caruana Dingli's grand-daughter, Debbie Caruana Dingli;
the late Esprit Barthet (d.1999) and his grandson Simon; the late Antoine Camilleri (d.2005) and his sons Gerald and Antoine Paul;
the late Blanche Ellul Sullivan (d.2002) and her niece Anna Grima; veteran artist Victor Diacono and his son Andrew; and Arnold Sultana and his daughter Nicola.
Incidentally the exhibition was officially inaugurated by Nicholas de Piro, brother of Mary de Piro and great-grandson of Giuseppe Calì, apart from also being the uncle of Philippa Bianchi.
A play of mediums characterises this collection of Maltese works, which range from bronze sculptures to watercolours, acrylics, clay, pastels, oils, etchings and an unusual piece of pokerwork by Blanche Ellul Sullivan. Displayed are exquisitely rare pieces such as The Gregale, an oil by Giuseppe Calì; three delicate etchings by Edward Caruana Dingli; and a self-portrait by Esprit Barthet.
Perhaps the most succinct painting in relation to The Bloodline and that has been appositely selected for the exhibition brochure's frontispiece is a 2007 sepia watercolour and sanguine pencil work entitled Family by Debbie Caruana Dingli. Certainly this is a memorable exhibition that reads like a Maltese art history book and speaks out from the distant and near past and on through our day and age.
• The Bloodline is at Gallery G in until July 10. Opening hours: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Saturdays.
"We had become acquainted with several artists from past exhibitions and discovered unknown and surprising links between them, especially after our 10 Watercolourists collective. Both Karmen and myself have personal family links with important artists - my sister is Anna Grima, my aunt is Blanche Ellul Sullivan; Karmen's uncle is Arnold Sultana and her cousin is Nicola Sultana. This got the ball rolling as we started thinking around all the 'family connected' artists on the islands. It prompted Karmen to come up with the proposal, 'Why not do a big collective?' And that is how we involved all the diverse artistic families on board this exhibition," explained Mr Grima.
And so The Bloodline came to be, incorporating a list of 17 artists hailing from seven different family lines. Some artists are contemporary, some not, with works whose dates span well over a century of artistic development. And the string of names attached to this collective are certainly enough to make any art historian sit up and check out the interesting genealogy. It is a living opportunity to sift through Malta's artistic past and the accomplishments of some of the major exponents who have left an indelible mark on our creative heritage.
"When we proposed the idea, it stirred up a great deal of excitement. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm where ancestry lines are involved, especially since some of the ancestral links yield such beautiful works," added Ms Grima.
The artists whose works are exhibited in the exhibition are: the late Giuseppe Calì (d.1930), his great grand-daughter Mary de Piro and her niece Philippa Bianchi;
the late Edward Caruana Dingli (d.1950), his brother the late Robert Caruana Dingli (d.1940) and Robert Caruana Dingli's grand-daughter, Debbie Caruana Dingli;
the late Esprit Barthet (d.1999) and his grandson Simon; the late Antoine Camilleri (d.2005) and his sons Gerald and Antoine Paul;
the late Blanche Ellul Sullivan (d.2002) and her niece Anna Grima; veteran artist Victor Diacono and his son Andrew; and Arnold Sultana and his daughter Nicola.
Incidentally the exhibition was officially inaugurated by Nicholas de Piro, brother of Mary de Piro and great-grandson of Giuseppe Calì, apart from also being the uncle of Philippa Bianchi.
A play of mediums characterises this collection of Maltese works, which range from bronze sculptures to watercolours, acrylics, clay, pastels, oils, etchings and an unusual piece of pokerwork by Blanche Ellul Sullivan. Displayed are exquisitely rare pieces such as The Gregale, an oil by Giuseppe Calì; three delicate etchings by Edward Caruana Dingli; and a self-portrait by Esprit Barthet.
Perhaps the most succinct painting in relation to The Bloodline and that has been appositely selected for the exhibition brochure's frontispiece is a 2007 sepia watercolour and sanguine pencil work entitled Family by Debbie Caruana Dingli. Certainly this is a memorable exhibition that reads like a Maltese art history book and speaks out from the distant and near past and on through our day and age.
• The Bloodline is at Gallery G in until July 10. Opening hours: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Saturdays.