MASKS AND MIRRORS: ILLUSION & REFLECTION
Saturday 10 – Wednesday 28 October 2009
A mixed media exhibition of functional and fanciful applied art
The Cittadella Centre for Culture & Arts,
(St. Ursula Hall),The Citadel, Victoria, Gozo
open: Mon - Fri 10a.m. – 3 p.m. Sat - Sun 11 a.m.– 3 p.m.
Over sixty works by established and emerging designer makers
Jackie Roberts * Graham Woodall * Pat Holtom * Rachel Robinson * Mario Cordina * Jan Wilson
2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation
About the Artists and Designer/Makers
Jackie Roberts (born UK, 1962) creates art in metal from a workshop in Ghasri, Gozo. Before moving to Gozo in 2001 Jackie learned artistic metalwork with the ‘Arcangels’ group at Edinburgh’s Telford College. She pursued her passion for metal after a professional career in education, public relations and international community development. Inspired by the natural world and the fusion of different cultures and traditions Jackie often incorporates recycled metal and found material into her work. She uses mild steel, copper and brass; coloured using a technique she has developed of ‘painting’ with heat.
Jackie also teaches artistic metalwork from her Gozo workshop and in the UK; undertakes commissions and shows her work in galleries, restaurants, bars. Her first solo exhibition ‘Go Fish’ was held at Art..e Gallery, Gozo in 2006 and she has since collaborated in four successful exhibitions as well as featuring in collective exhibitions in Scotland and throughout Malta and Gozo; exhibiting at Gallery G, Artitude, Core Green, COMA and the Eden Foundation collective exhibitions.
This summer Jackie has exhibited her work at Pittenweem Arts Festival, Scotland for the second time; taken part in the Colours Gallery Edinburgh International Festival collective exhibition and organised an Open Week at her Gozo workshop.
In ‘Masks and Mirrors- illusion & reflection’ Jackie will present work inspired by the adornment, symbolism and folklore of different cultures; exploring the reflective qualities of different metals. She has invited designer makers from Gozo and Malta to join her with their artistic mixed media interpretations of the theme.
Contact: Mobile 79 562 753 Tel: 21 564 374
e.mail: robertsj@maltanet.net
Graham Woodall (born Oxford 1950) is a UK artist recently living and working in Malta. His current work reflects his view of Maltese patterns, textures and colours. Eclectic by nature, Graham uses various materials and found objects to make his art with layers of thought, subject matter and technique. A potter by trade, Graham’s recent work utilizes mixed media and paper pulp which he makes from everyday packaging materials. Graham works as the artist in residence at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta where he is currently planning a giant installation based on a telescopic view which will be multi-layered.
His most recent exhibition ‘Saffi’ with Christine X was held at the Artitude Gallery, Sliema in April 2009. Graham is also planning a giant piece of community artwork for all of Malta and Gozo. Details will be circulating in the press.
e.mail: gdwoodall@hotmail.com and website: www.grahamwoodall.com
Pat Holtom (born Sussex, UK. 1939) trained at West Sussex College of Art and Royal College of Art, London obtaining a First Class Masters Degree in Woven Textile Design. From 1966-1982 Pat ran a weaving business in Gozo - Ogygia Textile Workshops. Since 1982 she has been working as an adviser for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation in Barbados and Kiribati (Central Pacific). Also for the United Nations in
Egypt, Zanzibar, Namibia and Tanzania. As well as undertaking freelance designing and teaching her weaving commissions have included the King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Winchester Cathedral, UK.
Pat is a member of the Gozo based group ‘Hajta U Labra’ (Thread and Needle). Their aim is to conserve traditional crafts and promote their use in contemporary design. Exploring new ways of using lace and modern lace designs, felt, weaving, knitting and crochet from local wool; machine embroidery and jewellery. In ‘Masks and Mirrors’ Pat uses papier mache, plant material and textiles to interpret the theme.
e.mail: holtom@onvol.net
Rachel Robinson (born 1970, UK) studied at Maidstone College of Art and
Design and the Universityof Central Lancashire, graduating with a degree in
Three Dimensional Design Crafts in 1994. This was followed by a career in museum and gallery education (Southampton City Art Gallery and University ofOxford); as a theatre manager in the Central Pacific, and as a freelance consultant in creative education. Rachel also holds a masters degree in Social Development.
Rachel moved to Gozo in January 2008 and currently makes a range of
jewellery from enamel on copper and in silver under the name Prickly Pear
Designs www.pricklypeargozo.com. She is also a member of ‘Hajta U Labra’.
In ‘Masks and Mirrors¹ Rachel has been inspired by the idea of ‘illusion’,
pressing lace and other textures and objects into silver so that their
ghostly impression is left behind.
e.mail: pricklypear@me.com
Jan Wilson from the UK now lives in Gharb, Gozo and specializes in embroidery and stitched textiles. Jan’s career started in the fashion industry working with famous international fabric/clothing designers Zika Ascher and Zandra Rhodes. She recently acquired a piece of art produced by her former boss Zika Ascher whose work is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
After a career break Jan moved into secondary education specializing in Business Studies but realizing her passion for textiles and creativity she moved into Design Technology concentrating on textiles and textile fabrication. Applying craft skills gained through her work in fabric, thread and wool with freehand machine embroidery she started to create her own pieces of art. Jan has recently started producing designer jewellery in silver and has been invited to share her ideas and creativity with an international jeweller; as well as undertaking a number of commissioned pieces. Jan is also a member of ‘Hajta U Labra’.
Jan’s Masks and Illusions are created from various media – clay, textiles and silver – using hand knitted string with fabrics and free hand machine embroidery to create both wearable and decorative pieces which interpret the theme. The works in silver are based on a four dimensional ‘family mask’.
e.mail: jfw@maltanet.net
Mario Cordina, a Gozitan born in 1967 and a serving Police Officer for 23 years have always had his own metal workshop - fabricating decorative ironwork commissions for the commercial and private sector. Mario was educated at a Technical Institute in Metal Fabrication, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Science, Welding, Metallurgy and Technical Design.
Mario uses the gas forge to heat metal to a white hot state and then hammers it on the anvil to a desired form. In the last few years he was inspired to create his own metal art creating sculptures, creatures and candle holders from metal under intense heat; then using a process of bending, twisting, hammering and cutting until the design is complete.
This is the first time Mario has publicly exhibited his work, applying art and imagination to his metal craft in order to interpret the theme.
e.mail: merlino@onvol.net