ALISON AGIUS

il-Maduma

For her debut solo exhibition il-Maduma at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, Alison Agius breathes new life into traditional Maltese tiles once destined for disposal. Rescued from homes across Malta and Gozo, these tiles, each bearing intricate designs, colours, and traces of age, become the foundation for a new body of work in which a renewed life and energy are breathed through them.

Through a meticulous process of cleaning and preparation, Agius transforms these objects of heritage into portraits where expression is paramount. Painted directly in oils, faces and emotions emerge from the patterned surfaces. For the artist, every nuance of face and gesture carries meaning, each glance or subtle shift capturing an inner truth that transcends likeness. The lines, seams, and motifs of the tiles guide her choice of expression, age, and character, sometimes aligning with clothing folds, other times blending seamlessly with the sitter’s mood. Each model, drawn from family members, acquaintances, or found references, finds their counterpart in the geometry of the tile, as if the design itself called for their presence. Agius invites a dialogue between portrait, tile, and viewer, where the gaze and emotion of each subject resonate beyond the surface.

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The works are framed with custom wood supports and stainless-steel bolts, deliberately exposing the edges to emphasise the beauty of the original tile. In this way, Agius honours both material and memory, offering a kind of “hide and seek” between the person and the pattern, and inviting us to rediscover and appreciate a fading facet of Maltese cultural identity.

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This series of 21 unique works is a closed, limited-edition body, and the artist will not be producing further artworks on old traditional Maltese tiles.