Interview /Exhibtion / Malta November - December 2021 MALTA
MARIA GALEA
Re-imagining a Landscape Interview with Thea Vella
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econstructed Landscapes raises awareness of our surroundings – memories we have lived with and the spaces that have left a mark along the way. Emerging artist, Thea Vella, based in Malta, has immersed herself in a discovery of how her surroundings connect and disconnect each space through patchwork, using texture, colors, and tones. Drawing from photographic memory and imagination, she has fragmented and recreated a series of soft, almost floating-like landscapes, which channel a whole new perspective on her surroundings. Throughout the entire process, she has come to realise and appreciate the time she has allowed her-
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self to observe these landscapes, identify the part that resonates with her, making her more at one with her surroundings, which consequently has led to self-growth and understanding. Thea applied to an open call for proposals at MARIE Gallery5, and has been selected to present this new body of work, which feels relatively new in style and technique to the local art scene. The artist tells us more how this collection came about and why; What prompted you to work with landscapes? For the past two years I’ve had the time to observe my surroundings in ways different than before. I’ve immersed myself in the inconsistent patchwork I see, and the textures and tones that play part of this