There is a comfort in objects: those that are familiar, those that we encounter every day. Those objects provide us with a sense of mental equilibrium because they don’t change. Because they are part of our routine, they are us. And this idea was the springboard to Maria Borg’s first solo exhibition now on display at MUZA in Valletta.

About the series

“‘Homebody’ is a series of paintings that originated during a four-month painting residency in a remote part of Scotland,” Maria explains. “Being so far away from home, alone, and with a world of possibilities in my hands as regard to what to paint, I found myself looking for comfort, looking inwards. This search manifested itself in painting personal objects, then domestic objects. The objects take an identity of their own, a presence… Yet, they beg for a story, a context.”

The idea was conceived six years ago and has become even more relevant and relatable nowadays and many of us were (or still are) some kind of ‘homebody’ since the pandemic began at the start of 2020. “I did not intend it to be, but it’s very relevant to how people are living these days,” Maria admits.

The exhibition at MUZA

This exhibition focuses on painting objects. The paintings obsess over texture, the softness of the fabric, and the heaviness of the body that inhabited them. They tease by evoking a presence that interacted with the subject that is no longer there. This absence lends the objects a heavy aura, which suggests that they will be around for much longer than we will.

“The reasoning behind the exhibition was an aesthetic and a visual one. It is all about colour and texture. Creating an illusion through layers and technique is why I paint more than anything else.”

About the artist

Maria Borg is a visual artist working primarily in figurative oil paintings. She gives a lot of importance to the studio practice. For her, being a painter means spending a lot of time indoors, looking at things through an obsessive, almost surgical lens. She applies this obsession with texture and form onto domestic, often mundane objects. And the end result? Flawless!

Her work encourages people to look at these objects with a painterly eye; the shape and its irregularity, the texture, and the invitation to touch.

‘Homebody’ runs at MUŻA until 21st February 2021. Maria will be present at MUŻA during ‘Meet the Artist’ encounters every Sunday in February between 1pm and 4pm.