Once left in disrepair, Manika parish church was lovingly restored and reopened three years ago. It now serves as an adoration church and, for this exhibition, as a sacred art space rich with history and spiritual significance to showcase the transformative power of art.
“Art is perhaps the most sincere form of prayer for an artist,” says parish priest and artist Father Peter Paul Sultana. “This exhibition is an opportunity for both artists and visitors to engage with the theme of joy in a deeply personal and spiritual way.”
Gaudium, which means joy, is a select collection of art created expressly for this exhibition by local artists to engage meaningfully with the exhibition’s church setting. The works explore themes of beauty, hope and spirituality in keeping with the venue’s atmosphere and the weeks of Lent and Easter.
The art on show both encapsulates the essence of the season, a time of celebration, reflection, and renewal, and resonates with this Easter initiative, which has a philanthropic purpose. A portion of the proceeds from the exhibition will contribute to an ongoing parish project. Last year, funds raised enabled the full air-conditioning of the main church, and this year, the goal is to install photovoltaic panels on the church roof, to ensure a sustainable future for the parish.
The eight artists taking part were invited to participate by Fr Peter Paul Sultana and artist Peter Seychell, who jointly envisioned this exhibition and are both participating themselves. Other exhibitors include Catherina Cavallo, Debbie Bonello, Fabio Borg, Jeni Caruana, Sarah Calleja. Most are well-established figures in the local art scene who have exhibited together in various combinations before. Joining them the new additions Father Peter Paul and Nadia Borg bring fresh perspectives to the collective for their first unified, site-specific show.
Most of the artists have a particular connection with the parish of Manikata. Peter Seychell lives in Manikata and has long assisted the parish with community events and fundraising initiatives, including this exhibition while Catherine Cavallo lives in nearby Xemxija. Nadia Borg was born and is still a resident of Manikata, as is Jeni Caruana who has lived in the village for many decades and retains strong ties to the area, whilst the other artists were selected for their connection with the wider Mellieħa community. Debbie Bonello and the curator, Charlene Vella, for instance, both hail from Mellieħa. Debbie and Peter are related, and it recently turned out out that Charlene may also be distantly related to them as well, a discovery that adds a delightful familial note to the collaboration.
Alongside Debbie Bonello’s reflective seascapes and Sarah Calleja’s luminous skies, Catherine Cavallo’s dynamic expressive works that look as if they have captured a core moment in a rich narrative: women dance in a garden that might be mythological and a horse rears against a jumble of limbs. Look out too for Father Peter Paul’s painting on a tree trunk and the stunning Sipping Tea in a Storm by Nadia Borg. This is an abstracted landscape resplendent with ‘Blue Lagoon’ turquoise beneath a rust and charcoal horizon. This non-representational painting with impasto reflects an intentional emotional narrative, capturing the theme of joy and gratitude that is not as a loud celebration but instead resonates with a quiet resilience. The title itself hints at finding peace even in turbulent times, which is rather a departure from the more visually fluid or spontaneous pieces for which she is best known.
“Another of the works that stand out for their scale, technique, or departure from an artist’s usual style, another is a 2.35 m long oil pastel artwork by Jeni Caruana,” says co-curator Charlene Vella. “She executed it on a concertina-type paper that unfolds to reveal more of the landscape horizontally, and she has managed to keep this effect through the frame. When she made the piece, she wanted to capture the abundance of spring and therefore a message of hope that resonates with Lent and Easter.”
“The process of bringing the exhibition together was marked by a strong sense of community spirit,” she adds. “The close collaboration among the artists, some of whom are long-time friends or neighbours, infused the project with warmth, mutual support, and shared enthusiasm. Several informal studio visits and impromptu discussions over coffee transformed the curatorial process into a reflective and joyful experience, very much in keeping with the exhibition’s theme.”
And now you too are warmly invited to visit Gaudium and experience the transformative power of art in this sacred space.
The exhibition runs from today (March 27) until April 27. It is open from 8am-6pm.
