Fine Art graduate joins The Great Women Artists Residency in Italy

What draws you to painting as your predominant medium?  

I work across many different making practices, from bookbinding and drawing to printmaking and painting, but I do find that painting is the most intense and psychologically vulnerable of all the things I make.  

There is something quite bodily about pushing paint around on a surface that I find very addictive. I love the intensity of looking during the painting process when time starts to fly by, and my body and mind become so focused on the tiniest of colour temperature shifts, translucent marks and gestures.  

Why did you choose to study at Falmouth?  

I come from the tiny island of Malta, and Falmouth being by the sea had a familiarity to it. The postal service used to depart from the deep-sea harbour in Falmouth directly to Malta back when it was a British colony, and I felt that there were undercurrents of connection there. I was also drawn to the campus; the print room was incredible, and I loved how open the Fine Art course structure was. 

In what ways did studying at Falmouth leave a lasting impression on you as an artist?  

I think it taught me how to think freely, critically and with conviction, and to think of my work as my ‘practice’. It also gave me time to get to know myself and hone in on fundamental questions I return to time and time again. I am so grateful for Tom Woodward, Bianca Cork and Becky Haughton in the print room, Jonty Lees, Lucy Willow, Nina Royle and so many great artists I met along the way who have left a lasting impact on me.  

How did you navigate turning your painting practice into a career after you graduated?  

In a way, graduating into a global pandemic didn't give me much choice – I couldn't get a job anyway! So, I returned to Malta when the pandemic hit Falmouth, and I had nothing to do other than paint every day. In the beginning of 2021, I put on a show in Malta of all the work I had made during the pandemic year of 2020 and that allowed me to sustain another year of living and painting in Malta. It was all very organic, and one thing has led to the next. 

There is something quite bodily about pushing paint around on a surface that I find very addictive.

You have exhibited your work extensively across the world since graduating; is there one show that really made you proud?   

Every show I've done since graduating has always involved other people having faith in my work. Honestly, I always feel very inspired to show work in new contexts, with different artists and in different historical contexts. I'm about to open a solo show at Sim Smith Gallery in London and I'm really excited to share this new body of work.  

You have recently been named as one of three artists in residence at Palazzo Monti for an upcoming show curated by Katy Hessel. Congratulations! What will this show entail and what are you most looking forward to being part of it?  

Thank you! This show will present some new work created over the course of the residency. It's been a really lovely opportunity to have a studio to myself and time to really focus without any distractions. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together over the course of the next few weeks and to see the final hang of all our work.  

What does 2025 hold for you and your practice?  

In 2025, I hope to continue research into personal archives, to continue painting and to develop my practice. I'm excited to have time to play! 

Find out all about Fine Art BA(Hons)