The surroundings offered an unexpected source of inspiration and a fresh perspective on her practice. There’s an eery cinematic aesthetic to Barreiro, especially in the early hours of the morning and the evening when the light is diffused.

“It’s unlike any other place I’ve ever visited and feels like I’m living on the set of a David Lynch film. Even the enormous crumbling concrete infrastructures have a romantic quality to them and to my mind seem reminiscent of Ancient Greek temples,” Holland said. 

Residue from the once toxic compounds of pyrite, sulphuric acid and copper which used to be mined and stored in the industrial zone stains the already surreal apocalyptic wasteland in vibrant shades of yellow, green and purple.

Apart from the toxic nature of its beauty, what makes it equally alluring is the speed at which nature has started to reclaim the land. For Holland, the apocalyptic aesthetic of enormous crumbling concrete structures provides an indirect source of inspiration.

While her paintings are devoid of any architectural or man-made materials, her paintings hint at a world reclaimed by nature in which humans no longer feature at the hierarchal epicentre.

Both Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon are sighted as particularly strong influences in her recent series of paintings. 

“Bosch and Bacon have long been two of my favourite painters. I really admire the success with which they both managed to convey both beauty and the terror of their realities in times of global instability. From them, I have borrowed Surrealism, apocalyptic narrative, religious symbolism and a reversal of scale of animals and humans to convey the ever-increasing instability of hierarchical order.”

Last month Holland was invited to exhibit with Artnom along with all eight other residents in a group show at Omnu Creative Houses, Lisbon. She currently finished her final week at the residency and has now exhibited during the end-of-residency exhibition at the PADA gallery.

Her new works shall also be featured in her next solo exhibition set to take place later this year.

“I would like to thank The Arts Council Malta for their support in awarding me The Training and Development Scheme grant. Artist residencies such as these are incredibly important to artists’ careers in helping them to evolve their artistic practice and facilitate stronger connections in the art world.”

Established in 2018, PADA is a non-profit artist residency and exhibition site which offers the unique advantage of being run by two professional practising artists Tim Rolston and Diana Cerezino.

Well done Gulja!