2024 - Fragility Series

This series was created during my art residency in Malta. The acrylic paintings on plates explore plants that are endemic and semi-endemic to Malta, some of which are endangered, some thriving. With plates purchased for one euro at a local bazaar, the materiality seeks to translate fragility and endurance at once, as the ecosystem of the Maltese islands has endured centuries of colonialism, soil degradation, and war. Many of these plates also feature engravings hidden beneath the florals that read “Made in England”, an accidental coincidence that carries an irony due to England’s 150 year long occupation of Malta, an occupation that Maltese people grapple with in different ways, but nonetheless threatened the ecosystems of the islands, specifically Filfla – a smaller island used for target practice by the British Army.