ROBERT GALEA (b.1986)

Robert Galea B.A. (Hons.) (b. 1986) is a graduate in History of Art and an artist. He is currently reading for an MA in History of Art at the University of Malta. He has published papers about Medieval architectural elements such as the muxrabija-window and the roundel carvings and is currently extending this area of research. On the other hand, his MA research will focus on the nude in Maltese art between the years 1900 and 1950.

Robert has studied drawing privately under the tutorship of Anton Calleja and at the University of Malta as part of the Fine Arts section of the History of Art Department under the tutelage of Prof. Joseph Paul Cassar and Dr. Giuseppe Schembri. Robert has exhibited in both collective and solo exhibitions. His solo exhibitions include Bingemma (November 2008) and Xanthon: where the earth is coloured golden brown (June 2009).

Among his sacred art works are the St. Francis in Glory (2007), on display at the Oratory of the Conventual Franciscans in Rabat, Malta, St. George Preca (2008), at the Qawra Parish Convent and his St. Chiara of Montefalco (2010), on display at St. Mark’s church in Rabat, Malta.

Bingemma

Bingemma Landscape

Chapel of Bingemma

Ganymede

Nude

Portrait and Landscape

Reclining Nude

St. Francis in Glory

 e-mail:

rush@maltanet.net 

JOE JULIAN FARRUGIA

JOE JULIAN FARRUGIA, writer / lyricist, from Malta introduced his works in public in the mid 90’s and has successfully taken a regular part in local song contests and was voted Best Lyricist on various occasions. Several of his songs were chosen as televison programmes’ signature tunes.

His lyrics stepped into the international fora and in 1999 his song Jekk Ghada ma Jisbahx was chosen by American Airlines to be played whenever a passenger requested to listen to music from Malta. The same song was also highlighted in Fred Bronson’s Pop Goes the World on worldwide Music Choice digital radio from the U.S. In international song contests, Joe Julian won no less than 9 festivals in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania. One of the mentioned contests earned him a Diploma from  the University of Florence. In 2008, a song of his reached the Bulgarian final of the selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2005, his song Life is a Train was released by NBT Records (U.S.) in a compilation disc sold in three continents.

Joe Julian is a regular writer on Maltese newspapers and magazines. He was a regular contributor in a Sunday Maltese newspaper for 4 years writing articles about Maltese famous people of the past. He works also on television and produced various transmissions ranging from variety shows, magazine programmes and social productions. He also pens public relations articles for production houses and television stations. He used to write drama for television too with some 50 episodes in different teleserials and sitcoms. He is presently producing, directing and script-writing episodes for television programme Bijografiji.

Joe Julian is married to Marlene. they have two daughters; Clara and Valentina.

Note:

Joe Julian Farrugia has very kindly agreed to share with us on this Blog his list of Articles on Maltese Personalities and for this we are very greatly full. This is in line with my idea of promoting internationally our culture and arts.

His articles on local artists and sculptors will appear in future postings 

LIST OF ARTICLES 

VINCENZO MARIA PELLEGRINI - Chev EMANUEL BORG GAUCI (1912-1979)

 

JOE JULIAN FARRUGIA - Chev. VINCENT APAP (1909-2003)

CENSU APAP

Il-Funtana tat-Tritoni, il-monumenti lil Fra Diegu, Dante, Boffa, Borg Olivier, Churchill, Calì, Preziosi, u Papaffy huma biss ftit mix-xoghlijiet ta’ skultura li jzejnu pajjizna. Huma hidmiet ta’ hila li juru li Malta ma ghandha xejn inqas minn pajjizi ohrajn ferm ikbar minnha fejn tidhol l-arti. Il-fattur komuni fix-xoghlijiet li semmejt huwa l-iskultur Censu Apap li halla gmiel ta’ hafna aktar hwejjeg artistici mhux biss f’pajjizna izda anke barra minn xtutna.

Censu Apap twieled fil-Belt Valletta nhar it-13 ta’ Novembru 1909 minn John u Marianne imwielda Grimes. Huwa kien tewmi u ohtu daqsu mietet ftit wara t-twelid. Kellu wkoll tliet ahwa ohrajn izghar minnu li huma Joseph, Mary u Willie.

Il-missier, John, kien skultur u jahdem il-pasturi u l-imhabba lejn l-arti harget ukoll f’uliedu s-subien. Fil-fatt minbarra Censu, Joseph kien muzicist, u Willie kien pittur u l-akbar habib ta’ Censu. Lil huh Censu, Willie kien isejjahlu “mast”.

Censu kien imur l-Iskola Centrali, u taht il-bank dejjem kien ikollu xi bicca tafal f’idu il-hin kollu jimmudella xi haga. Huwa beda jitghallem il-mudellatura fil-klassijiet ta’ filghaxija tas-Socjetà ta’ l-Arti, Manifattura u Kummerc taht Antonio Micallef. Wara, ta’ 16-il sena, beda jattendi l-Iskola ta’ l-Arti taht Edward Caruana Dingli. Fl-1927, Censu rebah borza ta’ studju u mar jitghallem l-iskultura fil-British Academy of Art ta’ Ruma taht id-direzzjoni ta’ Antonio Sciortino. Wara biss sena kien wiehed mir-rebbieha tal-Premju Calderon organizzat mill-istess akkademja.

Meta gie lura f’Malta, kienet saret kompetizzjoni pubblika fl-1931 biex isir monument lil Fra Diegu fil-Hamrun. Censu rebah u ta’ 22 sena ghamel dak li kellu jkun l-ewwel minn sensiela ta’ xoghlijiet.

Censu kellu memorja fotografika. Kien jinnota l-espressjonijiet b’heffa liema bhalha. Meta kellu 14-il sena, kien qabad lil hutu Mary u Joseph jitbissmu lil xulxin, ftakar dik il-qaghda, skolpihom u gab l-espressjonijiet perfetti.

Censu kien dahal assistent ghalliem ta’ l-immudellar fl-iskola ta’ l-Arti fl-1934, u fl-1947 sar kap ta’ l-istess skola. Huwa kien ukoll ko-fundatur tas-Società di Belle Arti ma’ Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini, Josef Kalleja u Carmelo Bonello.

It-talent ta’ Censu kien gie nnutat minn Sir Harry Luke u nibtet hbiberija li bdietlu l-kuntatt mal-familja Rjali Ingliza. Kien sar habib kbir ta’ Lord Louis Mountbatten u minbarra li hadimlu xi xoghlijiet, kien tressaq biex hadem bustijiet tal-Principessa Elizabetta, il-Princep Philip, il-Princep Charles u ohrajn. Kien hadem ukoll karikaturi ta’ personaggi politici Inglizi ta’ zmienu, li jaghmlu parti mill-kollezzjoni privata tad-Duka ta’ Edinburgh. Dan il-fatt qanqal xi ftit ta’ ghira fost l-artisti Inglizi li hassewhom umiljati kif il-familja Rjali kienet qeghda tikkummissjona Malti biex jaghmel ix-xoghlijiet taghhom.

Il-lista ta’ hidmiet ta’ Apap ma tispicca qatt. Minbarra dawk li semmejt aktar ’il fuq, Censu hadem ukoll il-Funtana tat-Tritoni, il-monument ta’ Nerik Mizzi, l-Arcisqof Gonzi, Mater Admirabilis f’Tal-Virtù u l-istatwa ta’ San Guzepp f’Targa Gap fost ohrajn. Huwa kien artist versatili. Qatt ma ntrabat ma’ teknika jew stil wiehed partikolari, ghalkemm l-orjentazzjoni lejn il-klassicizmu hija nnutata facilment. Dan ma kienx ifisser li Censu ma kienx ihobb jesperimenta. Huwa hadem anke fil-fibreglass u l-figura ta’ Lazzru hija ezempju espressiv ferm. Din turi l-faxex imdawrin ma’ spazju vojt, Lazzru b’irkopptu tax-xellug milwija ’l quddiem fil-mument li hiereg mill-qabar.

Matul il-gwerra kien ghadda xi zmien ir-Rabat u wara mar joqghod ghal kollox fi Qui Si Sana f’Tas-Sliema. Huwa kien mizzewweg lil Marija mwielda Bencini. Minbarra tewmin li mietu tat-twelid, huma kellhom tlett ulied li huma Nella, John u Manon. Fid-dar kien ihobb joqghod jaghmel forom ta’ papri u pupi tal-patata maxx jew hobz biex it-tfal jieklu.

Ghalkemm issib hafna li jsemmu l-Funtana tat-Tritoni ta’ Bieb il-Belt, il-kapulavur ta’ Censu huwa l-monument ta’ Dante li hemm barra l-Furjana. Dan mhux biss minhabba l-figura sublimi tal-poeta, izda l-aktar minhabba l-ghazla ta’ erba’ gebliet kbar tal-pedestall, li kollha jirrapprezentaw siltiet mid-Divina Commedia. Din kienet imfahhra anke minn kritici barranin.

Censu Apap kien bniedem umli u ghalkemm kien maghruf u kellu kuntatti ma’ hafna dinjitarji, qatt ma halla rasu tikbirlu. Mhux l-ewwel darba li kienu jkunu qeghdin jinawguraw xi xoghol minn tieghu u jmur jinheba qalb il-folla. Gieli kienu jkunu se jikxfu xi xoghol minn tieghu barra u lanqas biss imur ghac-cerimonja. Kien bniedem pacenzjuz hafna u cajtier fl-ambjent tieghu. Kien ihobb hafna l-familja u qatt ma ried imur joqghod barra minn Malta. L-ghaxqa tieghu kienet meta l-Hadd tingabar il-familja kollha bit-tfal tat-tfal biex jieklu madwar mejda wahda.

Id-dinja ta’ Censu kienet l-arti u ftit kien ikollu hin ghal passatempi. Fi Triq Tonna f’Tas-Sliema fejn kien jahdem, kien ihobb jisma’ l-muzika klassika waqt hidmietu. Kien ihobb ukoll isiefer specjalment lejn Ruma meta kien ghadu haj huh Willie.

Darba kien se jaghmel bust ta’ Winston Churchill. Il-Prim Ministru Ingliz kien is-soltu jaghti kwarta waqt waqfa minn xi laqgha tal-kabinett tieghu f’10, Downing Street kull meta xi artist jitolbu jippuzalu. Meta Churchill ra li Censu kien gab mieghu biss balla tafal, skanta kif l-artist ma kienx beda x-xoghol tieghu qabel minn fuq xi ritratt. Waqt li kienu ghadhom qeghdin jitkellmu, b’Churchill ipejjep is-sigarru u jixrob il-wiski, Censu beda jahdem u malajr gab ix-xebh. Kif ghaddiet il-kwarta, Churchill tant kien impressjonat bil-heffa ta’ Censu li sejjah lill-Ministri tieghu biex jinzlu jaraw ix-xoghol. Fil-fatt kien stiednu biex l-ghada jmur fir-residenza tas-sajf tieghu u f’total ta’ 36 minuta, l-bust kien lest.

L-unuri li nghata Censu huma hafna u dawn jinkludu l-OBE minghand ir-Regina Elizabetta, Midalja tad-Deheb tas-Socjetà ta’ l-Arti, Manifattura u Kummerc, il-Phoenicia Trade Trophy, il-Premju Città di Valletta, Kavallier tar-Repubblika Taljana, Kavallier ta’ San Gwann u l-Ordni Nazzjonali ta’ Mertu mill-President ta’ Malta fl-1993.

L-ahhar bicca xoghol li ghamel kien Kristu mqajjem mill-mewt tal-Knisja tal-Frangiskani tal-Qawra fl-1999 meta kellu 90 sena.

Censu Apap miet nhar il-15 ta’ Frar 2003 fl-età ta’ 93 sena. Il-funeral sarlu fil-Knisja tan-Nazzarenu f’Tas-Sliema fejn hemm hafna statwi ta’ qaddisin u profeti li ghamel hu. Huwa halla hafna monumenti li ghad jibqghu jitgawdew minn generazzjonijiet gejjiena. Izda, fuq kollox, Censu Apap kien hu nnifsu monument ta’ l-arti Maltija tas-seklu li ghadda.

e-mail:
joejulianfarrugia@gmail.com 

Photo Credit Mr. Peter Bartolo Parnis

MARK SAGONA

New works by Gozitan artist Mark Sagona



Gozitan artist Mark Sagona is currently showing his latest collection of paintings at Le Meridien St Julians Hotel & Spa
(Exhibition Area, Level 1). The exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday by Professor Mario Buhagiar, Head of the
Department of History of Art at the University of Malta. This is Sagona's seventh personal exhibition to date.

The exhibition, named Nocturne comprises 20 recent semi-abstract acrylic canvases, all produced in 2010. They are
inspired by the beauty and magic of nocturnal light in various spots around the Maltese islands. They continue to
emphasise Sagona's fascination with light, an element which has featured in various exhibitions.

Important local exhibitions of Sagona's art have been held at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta and St James
Cavalier Centre for Creativity. His works have also been exhibited in Rome and very recently at the European Parliament
in Brussels.

Prof Buhagiar, who also wrote a short note for the exhibition brochure, said that Sagona "has earned good repute as an
artist destined to leave his mark on Maltese Art of the first decades of the 21st century".

Mark Sagona invests his subjects with abstract qualities so that a glowing synthesis between the real and the imaginary
is achieved. Typical of his approach, these paintings are full of poetic contrasts and captivating effects. Layers of
pigment and rich textures, patches of carefully orchestrated colour and bold contrasts create vibrant and striking
compositions that are arresting to the beholder.

The exhibition will be open for public viewing until Easter Sunday (April 4). This event is being made possible through
the kind assistance and support of Bank of Valletta, Silhouette The Light Shop (Victoria, Gozo) and VGB Art Gallery and
Supplies (Valletta).

www.marksagona.com