Born on the eve of Christmas, 1940 in the midst of World War 2, Uno grew up in the countryside.

Early on, he had a longing for the great oceans and desired to become a sailor. At the tender age of fifteen, he was able to fulfill his dream. The sailor’s lot became a short but eventful part of his life.

After a class in photography in 1961, he discovered the camera as a tool to tell his stories. Documenting life became his passion. His camera and a roll of film, are his entry ticket to encounter interesting people in different settings.

In 1962, he met his future wife, Marianne. Nine years later, they boarded a plane and travelled to Malta on holiday.

They knew that Malta then was a relatively undiscovered tourist destination and that the Maltese were kind people who also spoke English. It all seemed very practical.

Marianne bought sunscreen. Uno bought twenty rolls of Kodachrome slide, coloured film. They enjoyed thirteen long days basking in the Mediterranean sun and many a late night washed away with food and wine.

For Uno, this was also an opportunity for early morning strolls, camera in hand, photographing whatever attracted his eyes.

For 50 years, he had the idea that these photos should be exhibited in Malta. His daughter Maria eventually sent some photos he captured to a Maltese Facebook group in 2021. The feedback received was enormous and the Malta Postal Museum offered him the opportunity to show the photos he took to the Maltese people.

The museum is also hosting a second concurrent exhibition by Uno Karlsson titled Oskar, a character study in black and white.

Both exhibitions ‘Malta 1971’ and ‘Oskar’ are being hosted at the Malta Postal Museum and Arts Hub, in Archbishop Street, Valletta, running from 5th May to 3rd June.

Opening hours are from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10 am to 2pm on Saturday.

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