The exhibition features SJ Fuerst’s new paintings, which wrestle with the Earth's natural beauty, scarred by the cruelty mankind inflicts upon it. Madonnas on the Rocks is the artist’s response to watching humanitarian crises unfold across the globe, as corruption, greed, and hatred seem to go unchecked. Fuerst paints women in her signature style but directly onto beautiful slices of stone, symbolizing the precarious situation women find themselves in as governments and society slide back into extreme conservatism, violence, and unashamed misogyny.
Despite this sombre commentary, the exhibition is an expression of hope, beauty, and resilience. “It’s interesting that being ‘on the rocks’ means to be going through a very difficult time, whereas ‘being a rock’ means being a steadfast, safe place, impervious to surrounding difficulties”, Fuerst explains. “Rocks represent both sides of struggle; the hardship itself as well as the grit needed to overcome it.”
The small selection of rocks in the show highlights the diverse beauty of the Earth, which mirrors the diversity and goodness found in human nature as well. For every corrupt and violent sociopath, there are the people who fight back to stop them. For every person hell-bent on destruction, there are those determined to create. The Madonnas may be on the rocks, but they will not be destroyed.
In protest to the violence and inequalities being faced by women, Fuerst stipulates that these particular paintings can never be owned by men. It’s a defiant reversal of the historical norm of women being denied rights, as well as a statement against domestic and gender-based violence.
“From a young age, I was taught to find another woman if I was ever lost or in trouble, as statistically, a woman is less likely to hurt you than a man is. Since these paintings are about women’s vulnerability as well as our strength, I like knowing they will forever be safe in the care of other women” - SJ Fuerst
At the end of the exhibition, 20% of sales will be donated to a women’s rights organization to help fund those fighting for equality and justice.
𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 opens March 20th and is curated by Melanie Erixon.
The exhibition will run from the 20th March till the 5th of April 2026.
Venue: il-Kamra ta' Fuq, 4, Church Square, Mqabba