Joseph Barbara

Upon meeting and spending some time with Joseph, one would describe him as a soft-spoken individual emanating a calm aura around him.

He studied art at the State School of Art from 1967 to 1972 under the late Carmenu Mangion.

When left to his own devices, Joseph likes to paint in a surrealistic and prismatic style. His preferred medium is acrylic, but sometimes he mixes in other materials.

In the 1980s Joseph began to reuse all sorts of scrap material and plastic water bottles, knowing that they are a hazard when returned in the environment. It is amazing to see the stunning figure sculptures and installations Barbara creates.

Barbara has been painting and drawing aspects of Maltese life and landmarks for decades but his oeuvre spans many other themes, too, as he gets inspiration from dreams, books and a wealth of real life experiences.

His first exhibition dates from 1980. Since then his work has been on show worldwide in countries such as Australia, Italy, Germany, China and Hong Kong.

With and thanks to Joseph Barbara surrealism, the 20th-century’s longest lasting art movement, lives on – and it might just do so, for the very first time, in the shape of  a bettija’rt!