Mario Agius exhibiting in Germany

Mario Agius has this time made it across the Maltese border. He has travelled to Hamburg, Germany where he has taken along not only his work as sculptural pieces but also our historical heritage and prestigious cultural marvels.

Agius exhibited on the 5th of July, along five other artists from different countries; such as Canada, USA, Ireland, Slovenia amongst others. This exhibition was held at Marziart Internationale Galerie. The works in this exhibition were varied, including four artists, photographer and the sculptor being Mario Agius. It was the first time for this local artist to exhibit his works abroad, despite having works in private collections in different countries.

The subject matter is the impetus for love and family ties, replete with detail and abundant metaphors. Fourteen works were exhibited altogether, nine in stone and the rest in wood. Mario Agius’s translation of inner thoughts and views of the world around in stone and wood, show his capability in sculpting these two mediums. His exhibited works are not only a matter of skill but also a deep passion for the material used: wood and stone; the two natural materials prone to artists’ manoeuvres. The smoothness of the stone against the roughness of its natural state, shows the sculptor’s ability to turn the primitive state of the stone into a durable art piece. Rough edges of Agius’ wooden sculptures are what make it more interesting as 3D standing pieces, throwing shadows and changing the tonality of the wood to a very individualistic aspect.

The sculptures look effective in their naivety, simple in their complicated chisel touches and profoundly perspective in mass.

Carmen Sultana

Love in Diversity

Mario Agius has fully embarked on producing simplified yet expressive sculptures imbued with a certain naïveté reminiscent of primitive and popular ethnic art. His exploratory instinct prompts him to find meaning and significance in a log, entangled roots, strangly-shaped tree branches, a honeycomb eroded stone. The incidental natural shape and texture of the basic material very often determines the final outcome.

Mario sculps curvaceous shapes or flattened figures in low relief with a certain economy. He disturbs the natural shape of the material as little as possible. In fact he tends to turn to advantage the various natural features such as wood knots and perforations..
The current exhibition is a clear indication that the subject of intimacy, fecundity and maternity has fascinated Mario Agius. Love in its diversity is once again a predominating theme.

Joe Camilleri

» View works from Love In Diversity

A potpourri of experiences

Mario’s penchant for figurative sculpture is the outcome of an obvious and natural course. For years he has been providing various churches and other establishments with functional and decorative furniture where sculpture in low and high relief features as an applied art. The current exhibition comes as no surprise, perhaps with the exception of his stone carvings.

However, Mario’s exploratory instinct prompts him to discover meaning and life not only in planed and finished wood, but also in a log, a cut-off branch of a tree, a piece of drift wood and a weathered stone. It is the natural or incidental shape of the material itself that arouses his imagination and determines he final artistic product; so he treats the material with due respect. He carves with a certain economy, taking into consideration the solidity and massiveness of the stone, or else the varied interesting textures of logs and tree branches. Logs are stripped off their bark or kept to create textural contrasts with finished and smoothed areas.

The sculptures on display are not limited to one particular theme. One could discern a miscellany of subject matter. However, themes such as family union, fecundity and maternity predominate.

The simple and curvaceous pieces sculpted in soft globigerina limestone as well as certain dual facets remind me of the stupendous works of Gozitan sculptors Joe Xuereb and Rebecca Vella respectively. Moreover, one cannot deny certain marked influences from oeuvre of the renowned Maltese contemporary artist Anton Agius whose creativity rests undisputed. After all, Anton was Mario’s mentor.

However, Mario Agius displays efforts to investigate his material, to experiment with creativity and finally to form his own artistic idiom. Certain natural features such as wood knots, could offer an unlimited potential once the artist gives vent to his imagination. And besides exploiting a variety of materials, Mario makes use of their particular features to enhance his expressionist renderings. Natural blemishes in the wood, coupled with figurative distortions or anatomical disproportions could be arresting if not out rightly shocking. The fetal-like composition entitled Vulnerability is a case in point. Approaching is another piece where disproportion of an elongated figure is used to advantage to create a long stride. Certain rigid or incorrect anatomical renderings may raise an eyebrow. However, they have been done purposely to create a disquieting effect in the spectator.

All in all, some of these sculptures display simplicity, a certain naïveté reminiscent of primitive art and popular ethnic art. This characteristic could be turned to advantage if developed with the right artistic flair.

Joe Camilleri
Victoria, Gozo.

 

Collective Exhibitions

• “Wildlife in Danger”, London, 1992
• “Prelude to Summer”, Hotel ta’ Cenc, July 1994
• “Ggantija Art Festival”, Xaghra, July 1999
• “Gozitan Art Exhibition”, Visby, Gotland, Sweden, 2001
• “Eden Foundation”, Victoria, March, 2003, 2008
• “Santa Marija u l-Katidral t’Ghawdex”, Ministry for Gozo, May 2006
• “Notte Bianca”, Valletta, October 2006,2007
• “Collective Art Exhibition”, Victory Band Club, Xaghra, April 2007
  

 

Personal Exhibitions

• Nature Exalted – Banca Giuratale, Victoria, June 2008
• ‘Love In Diversity’ art..e Gallery, Victoria Gozo, February 2009