In a recent interview by The People of Malta, Rodney Buhagiar revealed how he has gilded numerous pieces throughout the past six years since he first embarked on this creative journey.

“There is a shortage of gilders in Malta,” he says, so much so that sometimes his father goes to help him out. In fact, Rodney taught his own dad the process of gilding himself.

"Around six years ago I had attended an oil gilding course," Rodney said adding that at this time he had already started helping out at the village feast warehouse. However, it was only during the second year of his studies that he truly got the opportunity to improve his technique.

"Practice and experience are what make you better at this," he acknowledged.

As a teacher, gilding is what gives Rodney some peace and quiet after a busy day’s work. "At the moment I am working on a Maltese clock," he narrated insisting that this particular task is very time-consuming especially since, he does it all free hand. "I need a month and a half to finish one," Rodney confirmed.

Nevertheless, his favourite pieces to gild are church pieces because he can continue to enjoy the finished product even upon completion. On the other hand, “when I do work for others, I see the finished product, and that’s it. I cannot enjoy it,” he confessed.

Gilding is something that Rodney took more seriously during the pandemic because that is when found more time to concentrate on it. Upon getting his first commissioned work, an overdoor, “a friend of [his] encouraged [him] to take this up as [his] main profession” however, he decided against it because he did not want “to give up all he had studied for at university.”

What do you think of Rodney’s work?