Born in Malta in 1969, I was brought up in a family in love with music and theatre. We had what we called “The Music Room” where my mother gave piano lessons and where she also rehearsed with her band. It was also the place where my dad, together with other fellow actors, read their scripts and rehearsed before moving to stage rehearsals. Me and my sisters will always join in as backing vocals, a small dance or else as extras on stage. It was fun. It was the time where I fell in love with arts and the need to create. I still have my first pencil sketches of when I was only 7 years old.

I preferred sketching than studying mathematics and physics. The art lessons I had at secondary school by the famous cartoonist Gorg Mallia where my favourite. I always kept a set of pencils handy and only started using colours in my late teens.

I gave my role as a parent a priority after the birth of my son Kurt during which I only did very few sketches. In my late twenties I was given a set of oil colours and and easel by a friend who was leaving the island and that encouraged me to do more and experiment with different media. From then on, I never stopped creating art and being an artist.

I am constantly inspired by what is around me especially people and that is why I mainly love figurative art and issues that are effecting our society. The human being is a fascinating subject for art. Every human has beautiful features irrespective of age, race or gender. I go around taking photos of people during their everyday life and even invite models to pose for me. I give very few instructions as I want the model to be as natural as possible. I only direct the light.

I use art to pass on a message about what is going on around us. Some subjects I paint may make certain viewers uncomfortable. I create awareness through art. Art is a weapon that has been used for centuries to fight the system. I am not shy to paint controversial subjects and do not hate getting my hands dirty. In 2019 I participated in an ocean conservation project in Mexico and a reforestation project in Colombia as a volunteer. I now set up a website to create more awareness about ocean conservation – My Ocean Road.

Making art for me is an experience that I find hard to explain and share in words. Actually I am afraid to do so as I may tarnish its beauty. It is a moment where I AM in the present. Nothing else matters, it is me, the canvas and the colours marrying each other until they settle in a composition that I deem is right at that moment