Christine X Art Gallery in Sliema is currently hosting a deeply personal and powerful solo exhibition by South African artist Glendine.
In Karoo Pietà, Glendine invites viewers into an emotional and symbolic journey that bridges the rugged stillness of the South African Karoo − highly arid plateaus − with the spiritual resonance of the Madonna, a figure deeply rooted in the Catholic culture of Malta.
This vast, arid landscape is a place of solitude and memory, where nature seems to hold both presence and absence in equal weight. But for Glendine, the Karoo is more than a physical place − it is a space of reflection and connection, a canvas of grief and healing.
This emotional landscape is mirrored in her use of the Madonna figure, reimagined in a context that speaks of the artist’s own motherhood and resilience in the face of loss.
The exhibition’s title echoes Michelangelo’s iconic composition while reinterpreting its symbolism through Glendine’s lived experience, notably the heartbreaking loss of one of her sons.
Through her art, however, the artist not only mourns but also finds a quiet strength, offering viewers a raw but beautifully rendered testament to the endurance of love and the search for grace in grief.
Karoo Pietà runs until Saturday, July 5. Christine X Gallery is located at Tigné street c/w Hughes Hallet Street, Sliema. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and from 4 to 7pm. For more information, call(+356) 9984 4653, e-mail info@christinexart.com or visit the gallery’s website.
Learn more about Glendine and her art via her website and Facebook and Instagram accounts.
