EXHIBITION PROPOSAL CHARLOTTE LOMBARD SCULPTURES BY PAUL SCERRI & THOMAS SCERRI The first collaborative exhibiton between father and son in different mediums 16 November - 9 December 2018 LAZULI ART GALLERY
Thomas Scerri Thomas Scerri (b. 1990) is always interested in looking beyond, visualising the invisible and uncovering the hidden. Abstract concepts are brought into the physical world, taking organic shapes - creating contrast between the manmade and the natural. He lets the material dictate the form, letting the unconscious drive the work. Born to a ceramicist, Thomas was exposed to art at a very young age. Thomas obtained a Diploma in Design Foundation Studies in 2014 and a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts at University of Malta in 2017 and is currently reading for a Master of Arts in Digital Arts. Thomas has experimented with different media, focusing mostly on sculpture and lens-based media. Mill-hafna sad-difna (From seizing to burial) Trees. What trees? This project was instigated by the sad situation where a great number of trees were sacrificed due to construction of roads, apartments and bad pruning. Trunks from the actual trees that suffered this slaughter were used in this body of work, letting them dictate the final form of the sculptures. Again, there is the contrast between the organic and the manmade - a dichotomy which is addressed frequently in my work. Pieces from this series include: Ħafnu 1 1, Ħafnu 2, Keffnu 2 1, Keffnu 2 and Difnu 3. [1 they seized, 2 they shrouded, 3 they buried]
Paul Scerri Paul Scerri started his artistic activities in the late seventies when he studied at the Government School of Arts under the supervision of the distinguished Chev. Esprit Barthet. In 1982 he attended a course in ceramics at the Accademia di Belle Arti Pietro Vanucci, Perugia and concurrently also attended a course in life studies. Following this he developed a great interest in the ceramic field and proceeded to further his studies at the IstitutoStataleD Arte G. Ballardini in Faenza. At the same time, Paul studied the design and decoration of ceramic tiles in Imola. He was awarded first prize in Ceramics in the 1 o Concorso Avis held at the ComuneMunicipale in Faenza. On his return to Malta, he taught ceramics at the Art and Design Centre in Valletta for around four years. Paul then felt the need to widen his horizons by working in the private sector, manufacturing industrial ceramics. He was responsible for the design and technology. During this time he updated himself by attending regularly to various workshops both in Spain and Italy. He is also a part-time lecturer in ceramics at the Faculty of Education within the University of Malta. Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction ERICH FROMM, PSYCHOANALYST AND PHILOSOPHER The sculptures represent today s society, a society built on apathy, ignorance, greed and the love of power. Traits that are destructing our ambiance, our characteristics and robbing us of our identity. The sitting position of the sculptures indicate an attempt to dialogue, a discussion to cure this socio-economic malady.
The sitting position of the sculptures indicate an attempt to dialogue, a discussion to cure this socioeconomic malady. PAUL SCERRI
PAUL SCERRI
Trunks from the actual trees that suffered this slaughter were used in this body of work, letting them dictate the final form of the sculptures THOMAS SCERRI
THOMAS SCERRI
Charlotte Lombard LAZULI ART GALLERY OWNER Before settling in Gozo, she used her PhD in cultural development and project management as the basis for an exciting career as a cultural manager and curator in France and elsewhere, running art centres and cultural institutes. She discovered Fair Trade artwork in Paris few years ago at a Fair Trade expo, and was immediately inspired to introduce the concept in Gozo. She felt compelled to develop a working relationship with the talented and innovative artists who were creating such special pieces, and thus to contribute to making their activity sustainable. Twice a year, she curates contemporary art exhibitions of both local and international artists.
Lazuli Art FAIR TRADE GALLERY In 2017, Lazuli Art opened with a solo exhibition by Maltese artist James Vella Clark and then presented its own collection of contemporary and antique art pieces from countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Madagascar and Uruguay. In 2018 Lazuli Art curated the first anniversary of the collapse of the Azure Window, a solo exhibition by French artist Patrice Pantin, who has worked on a unique series paying tribute to Dwerja. In November, Lazuli Art will present an exhibition of Maltese father and son artists Paul and Thomas Scerri. Lazuli Art s mission is to link art and business while promoting Fair Trade in a North/South dynamic, and to celebrate the beauty of cultural integration and diversity. www.lazuliart.com
The Malta Independent on Sunday 4 March 2018 35 Lifestyle & Culture A daring Don Giovanni at the Manoel Christian Bowers plays Don Giovanni Teatru Manoel is staging a brand new production of Mozart s opera Don Giovanni on 5, 7, 9 and 10 March which also features three other concerts as part of the Teatru Manoel BOV Opera Week. Don Giovanni is the second in the trilogy of operas Mozart wrote to libretti by Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838). The first, Le Nozze di Figaro (which Teatru Manoel produced last year) was premiered in Vienna on 1 May 1786 while Don Giovanni was in Prague on 29 October 1787. Così fan tutte, which Teatru Manoel will produce next year, was to follow with a premiere in Vienna on 26 January 1790. This collaboration was to be one of the most famous in the history of opera and Da Ponte s name is now forever linked with Mozart s. The opera features a stellar cast of top local and foreign opera singers: Christian Bowers as Don Giovanni, Pauls Putnins as Leporello, Amy Corkery as Donna Anna, Richard Wiegold as Il Commendatore, Tommaso Barea as Masetto and the Maltese sopranos Claire Debono as Donna Anna and Nicola Said as Zerlina and tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens as Don Ottavio. It will be conducted by the renowned Philip Walsh with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. This Don Giovanni at the Manoel will be a completely new, Claire Debono plays Donna Anna daring and exciting production with Jack Furness as director and designer who cleverly captures all the comic and dramatic elements of this most popular opera. Audiences are in for a real treat. Don Giovanni is part of the Teatru Manoel Opera Week Cliff Zammit Stevens plays Don Ottavio which is being dedicated to the memory of Maestro Joseph Vella. The Opera Week includes concerts by the renowned pianist Vassilis Varvaresos (6 March), flautist Rebecca Hall with pianist Lucia Micallef Hunt (8 March) both at the Manoel and a concert by soprano Maltese soprano Nicola Said plays Zerlina Miriam Gauci with the Goldberg Ensemble conducted by Michael Laus (10 March) at St Augustine s Church, Valletta. There are discounted tickets for those attending the opera and the other three events. Booking is from www.teatrumanoel.com.mt or by phoning on 2124 6389. Lazuli Art Gallery presents: Tieqa tad- Dwejra - A Tribute to the Azure Window A solo exhibition by Patrice Pantin opening 10 March When a raging sea swallowed the iconic Azure Window on March 8, 2017, there were many who felt the loss as deeply as they would the loss of a dear friend. For maybe 500 years Mother Nature had been slowly carving a hypnotic window out of the giant limestone outcrop on Dewjra s coastline, some say a window into the soul of Gozo, and in one fell swoop she magnificently struck it down. The shock waves of this act of destruction reverberated across the Maltese islands and out into the world. The guardian of Dwejra was no longer. French artist Patrice Pantin was one of those who understood that this majestic sculpture was more than just a tourist attraction. The untamed landscape of Dwejra, with the stoic arch standing guard, has long held a magical place in the hearts of those who are drawn to it. It is to those hearts that he now dedicates his latest exhibition: Tieqa tad-dwejra - A Tribute to the Azure Window. The series of mesmerising paintings, which are both pictorial and photographic, take their inspiration from six precious fragments of the arch that were brought to the surface from where the Tieqa tad-dwejra now rests under the azure waters of the Mediterranean. Two of these stones sang out to Patrice, because when joined together they became two halves of a heart, symbolising the spiritual essence of this vanquished guardian. In the words of the artist: This small piece of limestone is like a miniature island. When you take this stone from the water, you seize the whole island. It is a detail but also the whole, another territorial extension like the map I made in 2015. The idea of death and body is emphasized by the drapes of a shroud revealed Patrice Pantin through the acrylic paint The black series evokes sculpture every bit as imposing as Azure Window could be: each piece, through its sheer size and black colour, highlights the romantic illusion of this guardian s portrait. The white series, through its monochromatic photography, accentuates the feeling of abyssal void felt in face of such a submarine chaos and inspires a true lyrical experience of the senses. What is left in your heart is the great absence; the stone is stronger because it is here without being here. It is what I call the hidden visible. Patrice lives and works in Pantin, near Paris, where for the last 20 years he has been honing the unique cloth technique he uses in this distinctive work. Tieqa tad- Dwejra is Patrice Pantin s second offering to the Maltese Islands. His first work, a large map of the Maltese archipelago made using sand from a local beach, featured in the Contemporary Art Biennale in Mdina in 2015. Lazuli Art Gallery, a Fair Trade gallery in the heart of Gozo s capital, Victoria, will launch Patrice Pantin s solo exhibition, Tieqa tad-dwejra, on March 9, 2018 - exactly a year to the day from the collapse. Charlotte Lombard, owner and curator of Lazuli Art, is dedicated to bringing new and exciting work from across the globe to Malta and Gozo; embracing cultural diversity and celebrating talented artists both local and foreign. This exhibition is presented as an opportunity to honour Gozo s heritage, and for people to come together to celebrate the beauty of art inspired by nature. Tieqa tad-dwejra is both a triumph in technical prowess and a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life itself. Lazuli Art Gallery - 83 Palm Street - Victoria - Gozo Exhibition 10 March 1 April 2018 Opens Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10am -1pm www.lazuliart.com & FB LazuliART
PRESS past exhibitions 12 Lifestyle on Saturday New art gallery in Gozo and events 12 The Malta Independent Saturday 24 October 2015 Lifestyle on Saturday Exhibition at Lazuli in Gozo Banging the drum : An exhibition of Art The History of Metal Art from Haiti Since the start of the 20th Century Haitian artists have been recycling materials to transform them into art. This has now become a distinctive and authentic artisan tradition with a diverse group of artists expressing their creativity and craftsmanship; gaining experience; improving their skills and generating income. From the 1950 s to the present day the group s primary raw material is steel oil drums which are readily available and transformable into collectable artworks which are exported all over the world. The sources of inspiration for the artworks are very diverse: nature; the sun; myths and legends; mythological figures, like mermaids; Christian religious and voodoo symbolism; daily life and work. The work is poetic and sometimes challenging. It reflects the passions, dreams, sensitivity, history and strength of the Haitian people. The process of transformation is simple but time consuming and requiring the use of imagination combined with traditional craft skills. The drum is first emptied, cleaned and flattened by hammering. It is then cut, engraved and chiselled into shape sometimes using a design template. Work is done on the ground and tools are basic: hammer, chisels, punches and files. The finished pieces are then sanded and A n innovative international collaboration linking art, business and Fair Trade will showcase the work of metal artists from the Caribbean island of Haiti alongside work by a Gozo-based metal artist in an exhibition called Banging the Drum from 14 November 6 December 2015. The exhibition is a new initiative from Lazuli - a designer clothing and accessories store specializing in ethically traded independent brands which will be transformed into a popup-gallery called Lazuli ART for the duration of the exhibition. Lazuli is located in St George s Square, in the heart of Victoria, Gozo. The unusual metal artwork of 13 Haitian artists is represented, including that of leading artist Rony Jacques. These pieces are all created from steel oil drums. UK artist Jackie Roberts, who lives in Gozo, will be showing work in copper and steel and will be present for the duration of the exhibition to explain her own work and the techniques and influences of the Haitian artists. All the artists share common themes, use repurposed and varnished to a beautiful and lasting finish. This second life given to the drums is as magical as the transformation is astonishing. In 1953, with the inspiration of Georges Liautaud, the art village la croix des bouquets was set up, about one hour s drive from the capital of Haiti, Port au Prince. It offers artists a space to acquire and store the drums and to work the metal but also to train apprentices and to set up workshops. There is also space to display and sell their work. This lively venue inspires and encourages youngsters to discover a vocation and generate income for themselves and their families. Today there are 80 workshops providing employment for 1000 people. The lead artist and master craftsman is Serge Jolimeau. Background on metal artist Rony Jacques Rony Jacques is 36 years old, the youngest of a family of five boys. His father was not an artist but three of his brothers are. Rony has Metal work by Rony Jacques recycled materials; demonstrate the same techniques and craft skills. Similar themes influence and inspire their work although they come from very different geographical locations and cultural backgrounds. The exhibition is supported real talent and expertise in his chosen medium; with a calm and positive energy he displays real motivation and the maturity to pass on his skills to youngsters and ensure the tradition of this form of metal art endures. Rony creates unique pieces freehand and as a businessman he has learned how to manage and expand his workshop to make it sustainable and to allow him to promote and export the finest of his pieces. Rony represents the group both in Haiti and abroad. He took work to famous store Macy s in New York for the commemoration ceremony of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010. He was invited in Belgium in 2013 for a joint exhibition with photographer Benjamin Struelens. In 2014, Rony was invited to Germany to promote Haitian craft. Gozo Metal Artist Jackie Roberts Jackie s metal work reflects the beauty and diversity of the natural world around her on Gozo and is also inspired by travels in New Zealand, Africa and Scotland. Her work crosses the boundaries of art and craft, using traditional metalworking techniques to make imaginative artwork which is hand-crafted. Like the Haitian metal artists Jackie recycles and transforms scrap metal and much of her work involves cutting, shaping and marking the metal using traditional, simple hand tools by the French Embassy; The Ministry for Gozo, Maldonado Bistro and other sponsors. Lazuli s owner Charlotte Lombard says: I have been running two Fair Trade retail businesses in Gozo Organika and Lazuli for the and techniques. She also reuses old copper water heaters; copper pipes and discarded antique brass fittings as a more sustainable source of raw material rather than using new copper and brass sheet. Jackie says about her work: I m inspired by the landscapes of my mind and the natural world, particularly the sea; cultural symbolism and Modernist design. I often use recycled metal, scrap, found objects and plant material in my work; reincarnating what other people have discarded. I use power and hand tools to cut, texture, mark and shape mild and stainless steel, copper and brass; creating colour using a technique of controlled burning with the oxy-acetylene torch to bring out the hues and tones within the metal. I like to work with the texture of rust; sometimes I leave metal sheet out in the rain, use homemade patinas or I pick up a piece of scrap which attracts me just by the way it has aged. Rust is after all just another aspect of the transitional elements which make up the metal. Jackie Roberts (born 1962, UK) spent eighteen years living in Scotland before moving permanently to the Maltese island of Gozo in 2001. She has a garage workshop and home gallery displaying her artistic metalwork in Xewkija, Gozo. In Scotland Jackie learned Charlotte Lombard of Lazuli last eight years but in my previous professional life I was a cultural manager. I fell in love with the Haitian metalwork I discovered in Paris two years ago and was touched by some of the similarities with Gozo and themes in the artwork: the maritime landscape; flora and fauna; subsistence agriculture and fishing; religious faith and symbolism; colonialism and insularity. French gallerist Anne Mucci s Fair Trade involvement with the Haitian artists inspired me and we decided to collaborate in this exhibition to promote their work in the Maltese Islands for the first time. I saw an opportunity in artistic metalwork from 1998-2000 with the Arcangels group at Edinburgh s Telford College; an EC-funded, parttime course in metal work to encourage women who were unemployed or seeking retraining to set up in business using skills which were deemed non-traditional for women. Jackie pursued this passion for metal after a professional career in environmental education, public and media relations, international community development and arts administration during a period when she found herself unemployed and disillusioned with traditional modes of work. Since Jackie s first solo exhibition in Gozo, Go Fish, in 2007 she has collaborated in seven successful group exhibitions and contributed work to numerous collective exhibitions in Malta, Gozo and Scotland. She held two solo exhibitions in Scotland on the theme The Nature of Metal in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2012. Jackie also teaches artistic metalwork to adults; undertakes commissions and shows her work at selected outlets in Malta and Gozo. She was awarded a prize by the Malta Crafts Council for innovation and creativity and is a founder member of the group MAKERS MARK contemporary craft of Malta and Gozo. Following the success of their first pop-up exhibition in November 2015, Lazuli Art is proud to announce the launch of a permanent new gallery in the heart of Gozo. The stunning exhibition space is in Palm Street in Victoria, just a short stroll from St George s Square. Lazuli Art opens the 2016 season with a showcase of distinctive and original metal work. The gallery features pieces by three artists from the Caribbean island of Haiti; including lead artist Rony Jacques, who came to Gozo in November and enthralled audiences with a live demonstration of his unique artistry. The art work centres on the transformation of industrial steel drums into magical works inspired by nature, mythology and local legend. Alongside the Haitian artists, Lazuli Art is also showing diverse and mesmerising work by metal artists from Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean artists are based in the capital Harare, and work together as part of a Fair Trade Co-op. Using recycled metals car parts, industry scrap, fridges and cookers - these innovative artists bring to life intricately beautiful birds, fish and cacti. There is more incredible metal work to come from Madagascar, Burkina Faso and Morocco, as well as new initiatives such as educational workshops for schools, and cultural evenings that will infuse the art gallery with music, wine tasting and topical lectures. With each new season Lazuli Art will introduce a new medium and present Fair Trade art work by artists making waves in their profession. The ethos of Lazuli Art is the commitment to Fair Trade and the celebration of cultural diversity and integration. I have been running two Fair Trade retail businesses in Gozo - Organika and Lazuli - for the last eight years but in my previous professional life I was a cultural manager. I fell in love with the Haitian metalwork I discovered in Paris two years ago and was touched by some of the similarities with Gozo and themes in the artwork: the maritime landscape; flora and fauna; subsistence agriculture and fishing; religious faith and symbolism; colonialism and insularity. French gallerist Anne Mucci s Fair Trade involvement with the Haitian artists inspired me and we decided to collaborate in exhibiting their work to promote it in the Maltese Islands. I saw an opportunity in Gozo to link art, craft and business; promoting Fair Trade in a North/South dynamic, says Lazuli Arts owner and curator Charlotte Lombard. Lazuli Art will open with a private viewing for invited guests in the presence of French Cultural Attaché Laurent Croset on Friday 20 May at 7pm. To keep updated with events and new artists please like and share our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lazuliart or contact Lazuli Art on 99436443. Lazuli Art 83 Palm Street- Victoria Gozo. Opening time : Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6pm and Saturday from 10 am to 4pm
Contact CHARLOTTE LOMBARD Lazuli Art Gallery Owner & Curator Lazuli Art 83 Palm Street, Victoria VCT1100, Gozo, Malta Telephone +356 27 43 64 43 / 99 43 64 43 E-mail info@lazuli.com.mt lazuliart www.lazuliart.com