'Remnants': This Valletta exhibition explores what we leave behind, and what lingers after
Dave Calleja uses his signature fragmented metal sculptures to depict emotions.
What remains behind after someone is gone? That’s the question artist Dave Calleja explores in his second solo exhibition, ‘Remnants’, curated by Melanie Erixon and taking place at The Splendid in Valletta, between Friday 27th March and Sunday 12th April.
We usually think of remnants as physical leftovers: ruins, objects, or fragments from the past that somehow survived time. But Dave Calleja takes this idea a step further – his work looks at how these physical traces connect with something less visible: emotional energy – the kind that lingers long after a person or moment has passed.
Through his signature fragmented metal sculptures, the artist plays with the idea of the tangible world that we can see and touch, and the intangible – what we feel, sense, or intuit.
While remnants exist in the physical world, emotional energy lives somewhere deeper – something you don’t see but still experience. Dave Calleja suggests that these two might actually switch roles. In our world, remnants carry emotional weight, but in a more spiritual sense, emotions themselves become the ‘remnants’ – echoes of what once was.
Born in Malta in 1979, Dave Calleja is known for his three-dimensional metal sculptures. His work is heavily inspired by the Maltese landscape, specifically its textures, layers, and character. Over the years, he’s developed a distinctive style that combines traditional blacksmith techniques with contemporary metal art practices, resulting in pieces that almost feel alive.
Will you be there?