Christine X Gallery is presenting a solo exhibition of Chasing the Light: Malta en plein air at 1926 La Galerie, Valletta in which artist Anthony Weitz captures the vibrant essence of Malta. Times 2 caught up with curator Christine Xuereb to find out more.
Tell us about the new exhibition
Chasing the Light: Malta en plein air presents a broad yet intimate portrait of Malta through a series of paintings spanning over a decade, from 2012 to the present. It’s a collection that has been carefully curated to trace the evolution of the artist’s relationship with place, light, and expression over time. The exhibition includes more than a dozen works, ranging from early plein air pieces painted directly on location to more recent studio works that explore a more interpretive and abstract approach. Geographically, the show moves across the Maltese Islands — from sunlit coastal scenes and village rooftops to inland paths and urban corners — capturing the changing light and atmosphere across different seasons.
What is the range of emotions in the works?
It’s an expansive range. From moments of tranquil solitude to bursts of radiant light and vibrant energy, the paintings reflect the artist’s direct, emotional response to the shifting moods of the landscape.
Some are tranquil and meditative, others vibrant and full of movement. For example, an early plein air study captures the raw immediacy of painting under the open sky, while a recent studio piece reimagines the same coastline in bolder colours and looser forms, emphasizing mood over realism.
Some pieces evoke a quiet stillness — the calm of a sheltered cove or the softness of morning light — while others capture the sun-drenched vitality of Maltese streets or the dramatic interplay of sky and sea.
Overall, the mood of the show is contemplative yet uplifting, with a strong sense of place and immediacy that draws the viewer into each scene. There’s a dynamic energy to the brushwork and palette that mirrors the living pulse of the Mediterranean environment.
How does the artist find painting en plein air and what does it bring to the works?
Anthony began painting en plein air inspired by British and Spanish painters such as Chamberlain and Sorolla. He describes the experience as “reacting to the whole visual and visceral experience of being outside,and simply responding as quickly as possible before the sun moves on and colour and shadows change.”
Painting outdoors presents both a challenge and a thrill — requiring immediacy and decisiveness in the face of ever-changing conditions. In contrast, he views studio work as “a more internal exercise, working from photo reference and one’s own imagination,” which offers “more freedom to abstract, interpret — a liberation from visual realism and the constraints of replication.”
A great example of these two approaches can be seen in the works Veccja Harbour and Siege Bell. The former is “a classic location sketch done at speed, simple silhouettes in monotone,” while the latter, painted in the studio, shows how “colour, value and brushwork are liberated from executing a visual facsimile of the scene.” Together, these methods highlight the artist’s evolving relationship with observation, memory, and creative interpretation.
Painting en plein air is as much about capturing a moment in time as it is about translating the emotional response to light, weather, and landscape, and the artist hopes to share his sense of immediacy, presence, and deep connection to place.
In this show, Weitz invites viewers to slow down and notice — to feel the warmth of the sun on stone, the stillness of an early morning, or the brilliance of shifting Mediterranean light. Rather than aiming for perfection or polish, the goal is to convey the raw beauty and fleeting moods of the Maltese landscape as experienced in real time. The artist hopes that visitors will feel a quiet intimacy with the scenes — and perhaps be reminded of their own moments of stillness, wonder, and connection with the natural world.
Anthony Weitz: Chasing the Light – Malta en plein air runs until 31st July at 1926 La Galerie, Old Theatre Street, Valletta (opposite Manuel Theatre).
Further information on Christine X Art Gallery