The Malta Independent on Sunday
Nature most majestic
Five artists, five, are exhibiting together in St Julian’s, under the collective name of Natura Artis Magistra - Nature Reigns Supreme. This is the first exhibition being organised and curated here in Malta, by Dutch art gallerist Antonia Damstra of Gallery Cachet, Switzerland.
Now relocated in Malta Damstra is seeking to increase her portfolio of artists to include some Maltese names of note, whilst bringing some of her preferred foreign artists to Malta for some Mediterranean visibility.
For this collective, Damstra has brought together two big Maltese artists, Anna Galea and Andrew Borg and placed them side by side with names little known in local art circles - Charlotte Arends (Netherlands), Bert Van Zelm (Netherlerlands and Francoise Jabour (France). These five artists have all taken on the challenge of working in oils to present their perspective of nature, reigning majestic as the collective titles aptly signifies.
"I wanted to confront the Maltese public with different approaches to natural surroundings, so that each artist was completely free to create to his or her heart's content, maintaining individuality throughout." The exhibition truly provides an eclectic mix of perspectives, ranging from the soft realism created by Anna Galea's, to Francoise Jabour's thoroughly abstract dynamism. Even on one wall, works by a sin- gle artist verify diversity of approach. A case in point is work by the Dutch portraitist Bert Van Zelm, who has chosen to not showcase portraits but rather giant close-ups of blooms vs abstract landscapes. Even while using the same palette of colours, this artist's take on art is exquisitely contrasting.
Francoise Jabour is an artist Damstra has followed over many years and the intrigue of her works is in poking one's gaze deep enough to note the delicate layering technique that emblazons rice paper into a variegated canvas of visual challenges. Wild movement combines half-hidden musical notes and instruments, as well as scenic glimpses of inspiration.
Not so Andrew Borg, who presents a novel expression of his idea of Malta, the island in the sea. His three largish paintings are all sea with a very high or a very low horizon that suggests tenacious observatory skills not often attempted by artists of Malta. And here lies another contrast with Charlotte Arends who is perhaps to be considered as this exhibition's enfant terrible with her simple abstracts and wild brush strokes, haphazard colours and a ‘what you see is what you very well might get' approach. It all defies finesse and is raw art in the making.
And then there is Anna Galea who, with pragmatic romanticism brings the show to Taurean stability that belies her unspoken passion for drama. Because seeing a giant sunflower from an angle only a midget could enjoy is something few artists will attempt with huge success.
All in all, worth a careful visit, this exhibition should be seen. Not only for its showcasing of a handful of foreign artists we have scantily heard of, but also since this first for Damstra promises more and better collectives in the very near future.
Natura Artis Magistra - Nature Reigns Supreme - Collective exhibition - showing at the Monet Gallery, Cavalieri Art
Hotel, St Julian’s, until March 24. For information contact: 79079898 or tonydamstra@yahoo.co.uk