A new wave of Maltese abstraction is coming to the art scene this September as emerging artist Elaine Mifsud presents her first-ever solo exhibition, ‘Realms of Colour’, at the Gemelli Art Gallery in Ta’ Qali Crafts Village.

Running from the 12th to the 24th of September, the exhibition will display a collection of striking abstract works, developed over two years of artistic evolution and experimentation.

While Elaine Mifsud has long been recognised for her representational works – including still life and traditional Maltese landscapes – this new collection marks a departure from convention. Under the mentorship of established local artist and curator Fabio Borg, she has moved beyond painting what she sees to exploring what she feels, challenging herself to reimagine colour, form, and perception itself.

‘Everyone knows the tree is green and the sky is blue,’ Fabio had remarked during their first studio meeting – a challenge that planted the seed for this entire exhibition.

From that moment on, Elaine began documenting imaginative reinterpretations of the world in sketchbooks, eliminating unnecessary detail, playing with unexpected colour palettes, and pushing the boundaries of abstraction.

Working in a variety of media – including oils, soft pastels, acrylics and, more recently, acrylic inks – her pieces are rich in texture and saturated in colour. But perhaps more than anything, it’s her passion for colour that ties her work together. The artist describes her process as entering a dreamlike state – a realm where emotion guides the brush and colour becomes language.

‘Whenever I was painting an abstract composition, I drifted into another world,’ she explains. ‘I’d like visitors to disconnect from the chaos of the real world and experience the realms that I visit each time I am immersed in my own world of colours.’

Curator Fabio Borg echoes that sentiment, noting that Mifsud’s works ‘invite viewers to go beyond the literal, to feel rather than interpret… to rediscover the joy of imagination.’

With ‘Realms of Colour’, Mifsud invites the public to join her on that imaginative journey. The exhibition is free to attend and will be open daily from 12th to 24th September at Gemelli Art Gallery, located within the Ta’ Qali Crafts Village.

Will you be there?