SCIALTA - A mixed media exhibition by Stiefnu

Scialta is the chosen name for this first solo exhibition by Stiefnu De Battista. An interplay of words between the names of two geographically distinct locations, but ones which have equally shaped the artist’s journey: Sciacca, a town on the southwestern coast of Sicily characterised by a thriving fishing industry, and our beloved Malta in the heart of the Mediterranean. The phonetic pronunciation of Scialta is also reminiscent of the Italian word, Scelta, which in English translates to selection. A selection of works that derive their inspiration from the theme of marine-life is, therefore, what this exhibition features. Childhood days spent by the sea accompanying his father on different boats around the island, are the primary source of some of the artist’s most enduring memories. It is from these memories that the artist derives his inspirations, which he then expresses into tangible form to produce the works of art that comprise this exhibition. In 2007, Stiefnu was also granted a one-month scholarship in Sciacca, Sicily, after being awarded the best design of an original ceramic product as part of the Interreg IIIA MedPot Project. There he met the late artist, Cosimo Barna, whose guidance laid the foundations for further development of the fish and prawn concept. The prawns and shrimps, together with various other sea creatures play the role of protagonists in this exhibition. The artist engages into a creative process that sees variations of the marine-life theme being explored and manipulated into both two- and three-dimensional form, through painting and sculpture, and presented on different grounds. The works of art featured in this exhibition are a product of the development cycle that initiated in 2007. We welcome you to put on your diving equipment and let’s discover the underwater world of Stiefnu. Dr Ing. Stefania Cristina B.Eng.(Hons),M.Sc.(Eng.)(Melit.),Ph.D.(Melit.)