It all began when Nadine Noko was nine years old and was told to pray to a nail in a box, which was a relic of her school's patron saint, St Dorothy. It was too much, she says, and Nadine couldn't find it within herself to believe in the staunch symbolism.

Gaining the nickname Noko due to her love of Japanese culture and art (the love child of Andy Warhol and Yoko Ono being Noko), this is how she is known. After an 18 year stint juggling between graphic design and illustration, Noko now works mostly on illustration, working on commissions and exhibitions. Her last exhibition was five years ago (Two Heads and A City) and she's due for another one later on this year called Catholic Itch.

At the time, Two Heads and A City caught attention through its foretelling of Valletta's gentrification. "I was living in Valletta before it became so trendy, and I would take in the environment and all the quirks of the city, inclusive of the people. The work also featured the changes in the city throughout the day - like in the morning, all the lawyers shuffle in, while later on in the day, tourists begin to crowd the streets."

Currently, Noko is working on her masters degree in digital fine art at the Camberwell College of Arts, University of Arts London and on two upcoming exhibitions. Catholic Itch, which will feature works using different mediums which Noko has been toiling away on for two years, is to be held in Valletta at the end of the year, and is a reflection of the bipolar attitude the Maltese have towards religion, rituals and modern anxieties. 

"The work is about how the Maltese blend religion into our lifestyles. Divorce, homosexuality and having children out of wedlock are good examples of how some rules of the church are overlooked, while others are practiced. At the same time, symbols everywhere tell us that religion in Malta has not subsided. The church no longer has a hold on the Maltese in the same way it used to, yet it does. I'm not criticising it, just noting it."

The second exhibition, Social Apes, is to be held at the University of the Arts London in Camberwell, and is about death on the internet.

The evolution of Noko's illustration has gone from simple, uncomplicated muses to more intricate, detailed scenes steeped with symbolism. The medium of choice changes according to the given subject matter. Very often she'll sketch, followed by a digital illustration, and then print with archival ink and paper, which lasts over a century, she explains. "I work on different things in the studio alone all the time so it's really good for me to diversify and to work with different NGOs, companies and other artists. Also, the MBA I'm working on will help me gain criticisms on my work by artists and lecturers."

Noko's favourite Valletta landmark is the Parliament Building by Renzo Piano. "I think it really fits in with the setting and gives a whole new dimension to the city. Even though I may complain about gentrification, I want the city to be perpetually moving."

While the artist no longer lives in Valletta, she still spends a lot of time there. She grabs her coffee from Lot Sixty One and lunch from Da Pippo's, while her favourite evening fare is from 59 Republic. You can see Noko's work for yourself lining the walls of De Vilhena boutique hotel on Old Theatre Street.