Saudade: One Of Malta’s Most Enthralling Painters Is Back With A Raw And Emotionally Ravishing Narrative
Art is created to convey emotions and give the viewers new experiences through the eyes of the artist. And Gabriel Buttigieg’s upcoming exhibition Saudade is the perfect example of that.
A rush of emotions and nostalgic feelings will overcome your body like a crushing wave when viewing this incredible collection.
Photography by Joanna Demarco
Buttigieg has been making people feel some pretty raw stuff ever since he first started showcasing his work in 2012. He’s made waves with collective and solo exhibitions ever since, including Dik il-Qtajra (2017), Paintings (2016) and Nudes (2016).
This fascinating artist is making what you might call a comeback after a year of absence. Gabriel’s work has seen a flooding change from a graphically crude and intimate presence to a more shameless and vibrant narrative.
The strong nude figures brazenly exposing themselves before your eyes are still there, but the context has changed dramatically.
This time, it won’t feel like a personal conversation with the subject, but more like a journey into the subject’s debauchery. The voyeuristic feel given off by Saudade will stay in your mind and flash before your eyes days after you view this mesmerising collection.
The exhibition will centre, as always, around the human figure. The explosive hues and frenzied emotions on canvas will be focusing on telling a story — creating a contrast between visual pleasure and the work’s more compelling dark theme.
A deep sense of nostalgia and sorrow are omnipresent, forcing you to dig deeper into a longing you can’t quite recognise within. Gabriel will push your buttons — dissecting and reconstructing your memories of days past into a deeper and more candid recollection.
From the allegorical to the prosaic, Buttigieg’s series represents forgotten memories, passions and anguish.
Gabriel’s enthralling collection will leave the viewer with deeply rooted thoughts in the psyche. The more you look, the more you will delve into hidden meanings and uncertain messages. This vibrant and intimate collection will coyly expose layers of an intrusive and deafening folly within.
This work will leave you with a cathartic feel, a bittersweet taste in your mouth and a new-found presence of vulnerability and blunt emotional nakedness. A not to miss visual experience is what we are promising here.
As always, Gabriel’s work is here to make you think and feel and not to merely look.
The collection is made up of 22 striking pieces and will be on show at Palazzo de La Salle. It will open on the 8th of November but will run until the 29th.
Be sure not to miss this incredible exhibition and all the beauty that it will awake inside your core.
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