Marie Gallery 5 in Sliema is hosting I Took the Rock With Me, a solo exhibition by Neal Camilleri.
The exhibition, running until April 3, explores what we carry when we leave a place behind us − not just objects and memories, but weight, texture and the subtle emotional imprints that endure within us.
This body of work encompasses ceramic sculpture and painting on canvas. It builds on Camilleri’s previous investigation of childhood in Malta but, after living in London for nine years, also considers how one’s home can remain within as an invisible force. The rock becomes a symbol of home, identity and everything shaped by time.
Camilleri works with fragments and memories, connecting one to another to reflect his inner emotions through surface and colour. His work expresses a sense of holding on and contains an outlook that acknowledges both permanence and fragility. Some works are grounded and heavy, seemingly immovable, while others feel suspended or incomplete, reflecting the permanence and changeability of identity.
The exhibition maps the inner landscape of an artist who has left home, but has never truly let go. In his own words: “Malta is the rock that inevitably came with me. Not as something I chose to carry, but as something that is deeply part of who I am.”
About the artist
Camilleri is a Maltese born contemporary ceramics and sculptural artist whose work explores memory, emotional landscapes, and the quiet narratives carried by materials.
Working between London and Malta, he creates pieces that bridge past and present, drawing on personal experiences, cultural heritage, and the architectural rhythms of the places that shaped him.
His practice spans ceramics, painting, and experimental mixed media sculpture. Camilleri often begins with everyday conversations or observations, taking those emotional fragments into the studio and “playing” with the materials in front of him.
Ceramic remains his primary medium, as clay allows for instinctive expression. For larger works, he turns to durable materials like wood, resin or metal to achieve scale and structural presence. Colour plays a central role, shaping mood and emotional tone.
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Camilleri has exhibited across London, completed a six-month residency at the Kiln Room, and continues developing new work for commissions and upcoming exhibitions. He has also founded creative businesses in London and Manchester, offering studio space and clay workshops.