Promising upcoming artist Martina Mifsud talks to us about her work and artistic path
When talent meets passion and determination, this promising young artist is the perfect example of this. ARTZ ID visits exhibition ‘Point of you’ featuring Martina Mifsud second solo exhibition, curated to perfection by the talented Andrew Borg Wirth. We have been following Martina’s work on the network for a while, however this exhibition has really taken us by surprise. In this collection Martina has really pushed her self and her work to the next level. She spoke to us about how she decided to take the plunge and become a full- time artist. She has taken a gap year in which she focused on studying and practicing art in depth in Barcelona, which helped her she develop her style further. We where completely taken away by this, when in Malta young full- time artists like herself are a rare find. This young and up coming artist is definitely one to look out for and support! Here’s what Martina had to say about her exhibition, artistic challenges and aspirations.
Notions of the gaze are recurring in your work. Can you tell us more about your ongoing interest in this?
The exhibition is titled point of You for that reason. In most of my works presented, i’m directly looking at the audience. They range from looks of reassurance, seeking validation or approval as well as self acceptance. Each gaze represents a phase of my life which I found myself in over this documentation period.
‘Point of you’ is your second solo exhibition in which you present a collection of self-portraits. What was the artistic process that led to the highly personal body of work that was exhibited? What is the viewer encountered with?
This project actually started as a form of therapy, where I wanted to overcome my insecurities through documenting myself over a period of 2 years and all the changes my body went through. Later on I noticed how important it was to also document the mental and emotional struggles that came with it all, a fluctuation process of highs and lows which I feel represents the relationship many of us have with our bodies.
What were some of the biggest challenges as well as achievements for you as an artist throughout the process of creating and exhibiting your work?
Coming out with such a collection is always intimidating as you are at your most vulnerable. You feel like now people are not only going to be judging your art in terms of technique etc but also your body. I ‘ve always wanted my work to be politically engaging and strike conversation so to me the fact that I have managed to do that, even in the slightest of ways is a real accomplishment. Exhibiting my work is always challenging however it’s so important to keep in mind that the art world is subjective and there will always be people who love your work and others who don’t.
Finally, do you have any ongoing or upcoming projects that you can share with us?
I am currently in a very experimental phase right now. I want to be exploring new mediums and techniques. I would probably remain on figurative art and flip the lense again onto someone else, someone I’ve met recently and have a very wonderful yet tricky relationship with.
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