Lava rock straight from the surrounds of Mount Etna, feminine figures and faces, metal and paint come together in an innovative take on art as seen through the eyes of Sicilian artist Antonio Misuraca. Hailing precisely from Paternò in the vicinity of Catania, Mr Misuraca has enjoyed a lifetime of tributes for his artistic prowess. In this, his first solo exhibition to be displayed in Malta, he is bringing forth a medley of works from varied inspirational sources. However, the one commonality is the strong presence of the feminine, most especially of the female face in all its shades and nuances, reaching out through ages rich with inspiration.
"Woman is a constant inspiration - she is the source of life on earth, the one to whom we all owe our existence, and it is with great respect and awe that I continuously portray the female face and figure in my works, whether they are sculptures or paintings. My sources of insight can be ancient Egyptian, classical Greek, Byzantine, or even African features and exotic South Sea characteristics."
Faces with flowing locks of hair, some with complex headdresses, or symbolic ornaments that impress the face's own regality, wordlessly mesmerise the viewer into attention. Many statues, whether large or small, are particularly Modigliani-like in their longitudinal dimensions. It is inspirational to observe the expressiveness on these faces which can elicit joy just as willingly as they can elicit pain or distress. The divergence of femininity is subtly displayed in sculptures that are immensely evocative and beautifully rendered in stylistic detail, abstract non-chalance or classical guise.
Mr Misuraca's skill is especially appreciated in the grey-tinged works made out of lava rock, a natural material that is extremely hard to chisel. He admits that some of the more complex sculptures made out of lava can take up to three months to complete and require great strength and control. Other statues and statuettes are made of marble or other typical Sicilian stone.
To complement the sculptural works are other artifacts made of metal and iron, rather abstract in character. Most impressive of these are the very large female figures depicting African tribeswomen. These, quite life-like in size, are tailored to rough precision and a delicacy that is authentically drawn from the natural gracefulness and majestic demeanor of the weathered tribal females. More abstract forms are also present and these come through as good combinations of the classical and the multi-faceted world of dream and folklore.
Mr Misuraca finally provides a colour visual of his perception of femininity through his intensely colourful panoramic paintings such as L'albero della vita with its partly surrealistic imagery and partly fairy-tale-like in quality.
All in all this is a strong man's gentle expression of appreciation towards the sacredness of womanhood, the ethereal female pathos and the life-giving quality of her soul. Never before had we seen anything so vitally profound.
• Works by Tony Misuraca are being displayed at the Hilton Malta foyer until the end of this month.
"Woman is a constant inspiration - she is the source of life on earth, the one to whom we all owe our existence, and it is with great respect and awe that I continuously portray the female face and figure in my works, whether they are sculptures or paintings. My sources of insight can be ancient Egyptian, classical Greek, Byzantine, or even African features and exotic South Sea characteristics."
Faces with flowing locks of hair, some with complex headdresses, or symbolic ornaments that impress the face's own regality, wordlessly mesmerise the viewer into attention. Many statues, whether large or small, are particularly Modigliani-like in their longitudinal dimensions. It is inspirational to observe the expressiveness on these faces which can elicit joy just as willingly as they can elicit pain or distress. The divergence of femininity is subtly displayed in sculptures that are immensely evocative and beautifully rendered in stylistic detail, abstract non-chalance or classical guise.
Mr Misuraca's skill is especially appreciated in the grey-tinged works made out of lava rock, a natural material that is extremely hard to chisel. He admits that some of the more complex sculptures made out of lava can take up to three months to complete and require great strength and control. Other statues and statuettes are made of marble or other typical Sicilian stone.
To complement the sculptural works are other artifacts made of metal and iron, rather abstract in character. Most impressive of these are the very large female figures depicting African tribeswomen. These, quite life-like in size, are tailored to rough precision and a delicacy that is authentically drawn from the natural gracefulness and majestic demeanor of the weathered tribal females. More abstract forms are also present and these come through as good combinations of the classical and the multi-faceted world of dream and folklore.
Mr Misuraca finally provides a colour visual of his perception of femininity through his intensely colourful panoramic paintings such as L'albero della vita with its partly surrealistic imagery and partly fairy-tale-like in quality.
All in all this is a strong man's gentle expression of appreciation towards the sacredness of womanhood, the ethereal female pathos and the life-giving quality of her soul. Never before had we seen anything so vitally profound.
• Works by Tony Misuraca are being displayed at the Hilton Malta foyer until the end of this month.