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indulge’s Artist Directory talks to Maltese painter, Catherine Cavallo
When/how did you get started?
Though I’ve loved painting since childhood, things really took off once I’d enrolled in Art School in London, where l did a foundation year followed by a three-year course in Fine Art/Oil Painting.
What genre do you consider your work to be?
My work veers from expressionism to realism, depending on the subject matter.
Describe your work in 10 words or less
It tells a story, documents an event, expresses an emotion.
Where was your first exhibition held?
At the Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.
Do you have a favourite among your own art works? If so, why?
I’ve had many favourites over the years, though a current favourite would be The Trump Card. It’s humorous, tells a little about each character and is made up of people l love.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on two large oil paintings, two smaller ones and a work on paper. The small oils are preparatory works for the bigger ones, which l work more or less simultaneously. One of the works is figurative, depicting a scene at Mnarja.
Which artist’s work are you most inspired by?
A difficult question as there are quite a few. Lucien Freud, Caravaggio, Van Gogh, El Greco. There are more but I’ll stop there
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I’d definitely have gone into dance, with the intention of specializing in choreography.
What is the epitome of happiness for you?
Seeing my family happy and successful in their life, and fulfilling their chosen paths.
What do you love about Malta?
I love the caring, warmth, and faith of the Maltese people and of course our beautiful sea and sunshine.
What do you hate most about Malta?
The innumerable building sites, cranes, dust, and the disconcerting sprouting of high-rise towers. I also hate the diminishing of green areas.
Favourite colour and what it means to you.
It’s usually a favourite combination of colours, ochre-green-red, for example, or lighter hues of yellow-green-blue.
What is your favourite indulgence?
Traveling abroad to visit exhibitions.
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