Address:
Cjaki Mill
8, Cjaki Lane
Rabat
RBT 2173
Malta
Telephone (Malta):
00356 21451515
00356 21563213
Mobile (Malta):
00356 99408413
Website:
www.clayartmalta.com
Fracture Line
Fault Line
Line of Turbulence
Wake
Nine on Line
Inspiration
My inspiration for much of my work comes from the natural environment which surrounds me in Malta: sun-scorched limestone, hardy thyme bushes and the Mediterranean Sea in all its moods.
The Maltese Islands consist of 3 main islands which are inhabited, and a number of small islets which are almost totally devoid of life save for lizards and scrub. There are many minor channels between the islets, and these secret inlets can best be appreciated while swimming and snorkeling, two activities which I love.
The limestone found in the Maltese Islands comes in 2 main varieties. The layer nearer the surface is Upper Coralline Limestone, and is extremely rough and volcanic in appearance. It fractures and fissures very easily, and is used for making gravel. Lower down, Globegerina Limestone can be found, and where this becomes exposed due to erosion, it smoothes evenly and can look like sand dunes from afar. This type of stone is quarried for our buildings and gives the unique honey colour to our facades that Malta is famous for.
Echoes of these properties appear in Fracture Line.
The Mediterranean Sea with its myriad shades of blue also fascinates me both above and below the surface. A stormy sea seen from a fish’s viewpoint is an awe-inspiring sight of power and beauty, while the serene crystal waters of a still summer morning are irresistibly inviting.
The patterns formed by the wakes of passing boats are captured in my wire-cut pieces. Wire-cutting is extremely spontaneous but can be manipulated to some extent by the kinks in the wire used, and the planned direction of the cuts. The scored lines are achieved by releasing one end of the wire and dragging it through the clay- with less than a 50% chance of success.
This can be seen in Fault Line, Line of Turbulence, and in Wake.