Offering a personal and reflective perspective on the theme of pilgrimage, It’s in the Journey is an accompaniment to the General Assembly of Camino Europa Compostela (CEC)—the official federation that brings together the main associations of the Camino de Santiago across Europe. The conference will be held in Rabat from 19 to 26 May, the first time this event to be held outside Santiago de Compostela. It comes to Malta on the invitation of the small XirCammini organisation, a local voluntary hiking organisation that focuses on the spiritual and historical aspects of ancient pilgrimage routes, and welcomes 150 delegates from 24 associations and 16 countries. The title XirCammini is derived from an amalgamation of two words, one Semitic written in old Maltese ‘Xirca’, meaning society or confraternity, and the other ‘Cammini’, derived from Italian, meaning ‘Walks’.
Excitingly this assembly marks a milestone in the revival and international recognition of the Camino Maltés—a historic pilgrimage route documented since the 17th century, which connected Malta to Santiago via Sicily and Sardinia. “This route has been rediscovered and is now part of the European pilgrim network,” says James Portelli of XirCammini.
The exhibition includes mixed media works by four artists – Gerald J. Micallef, Tiziana Farrugia, Jo Debono, and Cynthia Farrugia – three of whom have completed at least one Camino pilgrimage, while two have walked multiple routes since 2018.
And It’s in the Journey is more than a title—it’s an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to imagine what it means to move through the world with purpose.With these paintings, each deeply rooted in personal journey, memory, and spiritual symbolism, they share these experiences with the viewer. As a window into the week’s event for everyone, they offer an opportunity to reflect, and perhaps contemplate your own pilgrimage.
Cynthia Farrugia explores the pilgrim’s inner transformation through natural settings and contemplative space whilst Debono’s Melide Landscape, rendered in soft tones, is is a contemplative depiction of a key town on the Camino Francés imbued with emotional stillness.
Tiziana Farrugia’sabstract-figurative compositions reflect her own Camino experience and capture the meditative rhythm of walking, silence, and revelation.
“One of these is a watercolour of Mdina’s main gate in Malta, featuring a Camino way marker,” says Tiziana Farrugia. “This is a symbol of how Malta connects to the broader network of pilgrim paths across Europe. Another work is a charcoal drawing of the iconic scallop shell resting on a stone, representing simplicity, resilience, and the quiet strength discovered along the journey.”
“Two further watercolours from Finisterre are also included: the cross at the beginning of Finisterre, at Praia de Langosteira, captures that powerful pause before setting out into the unknown. The other depicts the bronze pilgrim boot, marking the symbolic end of the Camino at the ocean’s edge.”
“These pieces are deeply personal. They reflect not only the landscapes and symbols of pilgrimage but also the emotional and spiritual impact of the journey. One moment I often reflect upon is being offered water and a place to rest by a local woman after a long day of walking—a small act of kindness that conveyed everything about the heart of the Camino.”
Alongside Fr Gerald J. Micallef works combine a restrained palette with layered textures and symbolic elements that reflect the duality of movement and introspection experienced on pilgrimage.
He explains how his semi-abstract mixed media painting Apocalyptic Vision captures a powerful inner confrontation with existential uncertainty and divine revelation. “Inspired by personal spiritual pilgrimage and academic study, it echoes a transformative vision of upheaval and hope, layered with symbolic textures and expressive forms,” he says.
Alongide, Freedom of a Bird is a poetic semi-abstract piece which celebrates spiritual liberation and the soul’s longing for transcendence. Through mixed media textures and fluid motion, it evokes the artist’s inner search for meaning and echoes of music and theology woven into visual flight.
Executed in mixed media, Micallef’s work Collegiality explores the interconnectedness of humanity through abstracted forms and dynamic composition. It reflects a deep appreciation for community and dialogue, shaped by philosophical and sociological reflection and enriched by lived intercultural experiences.
Micallef’s fourth piece, God Proves His Love on the Cross, is a figurative oil pastel on paper in which the crucified Christ looms above rooftops and streets, embodying the ultimate Pilgrim and spiritual guide. The vivid, emotive strokes highlight a personal theology shaped by missionary journeys and contemplation, affirming divine love in the heart of human struggle.
These artworks will be on show at the Malta Postal Museum, Archbishop Street, Valletta from 19 to 26 May. The exhibition is free and open to the public on Monday-Friday (10am–4pm) and Saturday (10am–2pm).
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