In her third solo exhibition titled Mewġa (this being the Maltese translation of the word
‘wave’), Rebecca Cassar explores her life-long fascination with the sea, the shore, and all
things blue and sandy.
Cassar’s signature abstract style, now synonymous with the bold use of colour, texture
and 23.5 karat gold leaf, comes out in full force to represent the beauty (and vulnerability)
of Malta’s much-celebrated coastal landscape. The works on display – consisting of over
20 pieces employing varying media on canvas – are in essence an ode to Cassar’s youth,
with many a day spent at sea with her grandfather (a then retired captain of the British
Merchant Navy).
Years on, Cassar laments the gradual degradation of marine life. “I want to use this
exhibition as a platform to highlight mankind’s disruption of this delicate ecosystem. The
impact of tourism, fish farming, and pollution, to name but a few pressing issues which
come to mind, have ensured that the sea I once knew as a child is no longer recognisable.
Mewġa is a metaphor for the wave of change required to prioritise the conservation of our
landscapes and marine biology generally,” Cassar notes.
When asked for her favourite works, Cassar initially hesitates (in a manner akin to a
mother being asked to pinpoint her favourite child) but eventually remarks that Tonn and
Rizza hold a special place in her heart. “I feel drawn to these works because I had a clear
vision for their execution from the get-go. Tonn makes use of specially curated materials,
notably glass, which is meant to mimic the reflection of the sea’s ripples from above. A
closer look will also reveal a solitary tuna fish ‘caught under’ the shard of glass; playing
on the scarcity of wild tuna after years of over-fishing, as well as the cages which they
have increasingly become confined to.”
As for her process, Cassar confirms that, in preparation for this exhibition, she spent a
number of months visiting and researching locations around the Maltese Islands. “This
enabled me to come up with the story I wanted to portray in each and every work, whilst
respecting my artistic license and freedom to diverge from the sources of my research if
and as necessary,” Cassar remarks.
Mewġa opens on Wednesday 5 June at 7pm. It will be open on weekdays from 8am to
2.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 12pm. The exhibition will run until the 23 June at
Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali Crafts Village, Attard. Entrance is free. For more details,
please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/2930242470456858/
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