Nostalgia has a lot to do with current art trends, but this insanely talented duo are pushing past their creative boundaries to celebrate the quirky yet often side-lined traits that make Malta Malta. Scott Schembri and Andrea Camilleri, the designers behind Torri, have been in each other’s lives since the very beginning, but their partnership was not an obvious one.
Despite living on the same road and attending the same secondary and post-secondary school, it wasn’t until they joined the same design course at MCAST ICA that they properly spoke. After a lecturer put the pair together for a project, they discovered a shared passion and in Scott’s words, “that was the fire that ignited our work chemistry and love for art and all things Maltese.”
Their collaboration has seen them create some delectable home décor items and illustrations, but a recent venture has garnered much interest. Andrea explains that their latest collection, Malta in a Nutshell is “synonymous with how within the outer shell of a nut is the edible nut itself – the true product.” The pair are sharing a series of well-thought-out videos about different elements of Maltese culture with Scott revealing that it is “a way for us to express our thoughts and emotions through film.” Each video is directly inspired by one of their creations: “Each design has a particular story and what better way of portraying it than through a short film?”
Settling on five elements for their collection, 'Malta in a Nutshell' will see the pair focus on Maltese icons such as the traditional Maltese buses, the Azure Window and Maltese beer. "A photo can easily tell a thousand words but a video can truly capture what truly makes us Maltese," Andrea explains, adding that while they don't get paid to make the videos, they do it "out of the love to explore different creative outcomes and ways of portraying Malta through our eyes."
The pair's vision goes beyond Malta in a Nutshell and Scott and Andrea have big plans for the turn of the decade: "The goal is to continue to grow as artists and more importantly as people, keep doing what we love and let the rest fall into place."
We can't wait to see what else they have up their sleeves!