Namrati [lovers] depicts a victorian flower kiosk from St John’s Square, Valetta, on a date with an old telephone box at Upper Barrakka gardens, a famously romantic spot. At face value. The painting is a love letter to the beauty of Valletta, but beneath the cozy glow of the image, there is a brooding subtext of discontent and a sense of stiflement.

The kiosk represents the island and my heritage, adorned with my family crest [partially visible], offers beauty with no hope of growth [cut flowers].

The phonebox, representing infinite potential connections, is smothered in tentacles and is relatively static and unemotive – as though paralyzed in panic. This work illustrates my restless soul battling conflicting emotions toward the island. Paragons can be drawn between living under a corrupt government and being in an abusive relationship.