Dominique Ciancio’s latest body of work invites us to imagine what the sea might say if it could speak — what tales it could tell from an island forged by waves.

​

‘Ċ A F Ċ I F’ is a Maltese word that describes the act of splashing about in water. It is onomatopoeic - descriptive of the sea as it utters a sound that is both timeless and somewhat repetitive.

​

With its ability to reflect, the sea very often transforms into a deep mirror. Ciancio chooses to focus on this very introspective quality. Reflection thus becomes a visual allegory. With playful brushstrokes, a conversation gradually takes place. A dialogue between a maritime island and its traditional boats and swimmers - protagonists that he chose purposely.

​

This collection of paintings is a meditation on identity. Swimmers can be a metaphor for longing, for connection with heritage, for immersion in memory. Traditional Boats are bearers of craftsmanship, history, and identity. The sea is both a boundary and a connector. It isolates, but it also links. It marks what is close and what is distant, what is safe and what is wild.

​

With his figurative representation, Ciancio’s canvases seek to create a deep sense of place, though not shying away from themes of vulnerability, struggle, and belonging. The identity of an island is a living narrative. It is never static - it lives in the memories of its history and in the choices communities make for its future.

​

With these paintings, the thread leads back to the shiny mirror-like quality of the sea - inviting us to reflect. Ciancio offers more than imagery of sea and shore. He brings Malta’s identity into focus, not as static, but alive, conflicted, luminous.