The Malta Independent on Sunday
Joseph Bellia retrospective art exhibition
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) is proud to invite the public to a long-awaited retrospective exhibition and art sale of the works of the late Joseph Bellia. The exhibition is being hosted by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Valletta from 2 to 12 December and is a treat for art lovers who wish to finally own a work by Joseph Bellia.
Described by art critic Emmanuel Fiorentino as “one of the most consistent exponents of Maltese landscapes”. Bellia also left behind many female nudes as well as still lifes. He was skilled in portraiture and also experimented with the abstract idiom.
Painting mainly in acrylics, though also in oils and watercolours, Bellia’s palette is full of sparkle and verve, giving life and a sense of vibrancy to his subjects, using his colour expressively, making it the main component of his work. Like the Impressionists whom he greatly admired, Bellia’s landscapes are executed in bold free strokes which celebrate the natural glory of colour intensified by Maltese sunlight. His vibrant skies and the lushness of his countryside define nature at its best. His paintings capture the way that bright sunlight falls upon the fluid greens of his vegetation, upon the craggy outcrops of rock and upon white-washed buildings with intensity and heat. Most of the surfaces Bellia paints appear to absorb the full radiance of the sun.
Bellia’s subjects shift with the seasons as well as the time of day, capturing the fleeting effect of the moment with a few bold colours and broad brushstrokes. He transforms his farmhouses into cubic volumes of golden light and employs cool shadows to define his forms. Close inspection reveals that even his shadows have traces of lilac and green in them while many of the artist’s paintings are rendered in thick impasto and executed with a palette knife. Art critic Dominic Cutajar wrote that: “Joe Bellia builds up his scenes of rural Malta with bold strokes and thick impasto making each stone and the vegetation palpable realities.” Bellia exploits the full intensity of colour and uses this to create an emotional response from the viewer. All of his paintings read well in the Mediterranean environment they have been created in. The combination of free brushstrokes, vibrant colour and powerful sunlight imbue the works with an overall sense of wellbeing.
FAA will also be hosting the Farsons Foundation art lecture when Christian Attard, history of art lecturer, researcher and curator will present an illustrated talk on Joseph Bellia in the Context of 20th Century Art on Thursday, 5 December at 6.30pm. Bookings at: www.faa.org.mt
The exhibition and lecture are being held at the Italian Cultural Institute, St George’s Square, Valletta. Exhibition hours: 9.30am to 1pm, 2.30 to 5pm.