Press releases at the Maltese news papers:
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=71085
http://gozonews.com/item/bov-supports-exhibition-by-two-gozo-artists/#more-5388

come and see photos of the opening by Federico Chini: http://www.federicochini.com/exhibition/

BY NIGHT ONE WAY; BY DAY ANOTHER

at 
HOME GALLERY Malta
Windy Corner 44, Bognor Beach Str. Bugibba

4th until 12th July 10am - 1pm and 6pm - 11pm
13th July 10am - 1pm

Two Gozo-based artists move to Bugibba in July to collaborate in their second joint exhibition.  Hermine A. Sammut, an Austrian married to a Maltese; and Jackie Roberts, originally from the UK,  present new work which includes two and three dimensional sculptures, lighting, ceramics, painting, jewellery and artistic metalwork.   The artists are committed to making art accessible and when possible taking exhibitions out of the traditional and, for some visitors intimidating, gallery space.  Previous exhibitions have been held on a fishing boat in Mgarr harbour, outdoors beside the sea, in private houses, bars and restaurants as well as established galleries in Gozo , Malta and abroad.  This latest exhibition is presented from 4-13 July 2008 at ‘Windy Corner’ (opposite the jetty), 44 Borgnor Beach Street, Bugibba, Malta .  The street-level garage, first floor and courtyard garden of a private townhouse by the sea is transformed into a gallery for the duration of the exhibition. The exhibition is open daily from 4-12 July 10am-1pm & 6-9pm ; and on the final day,  Sunday 13 July from 10am-1pm .

Both artists interpret the central themes of the exhibition – night and day/light and dark/shadow and brilliance/pleasure and pain/what is hidden and then revealed; in their own inimitable style. Using a variety of media the effects are thought provoking, amusing, touching, beautiful or just plain quirky.  Visitors are encouraged to visit the exhibition by day and again by night where they can view artwork in contrasting light; casting flickering shadows, turning in the breeze, revealing different aspects of nature, landscape, appearance, even love.  The title is inspired by Princess Fiona, a character in the film ‘Shrek’ who has been cursed:

                        “By night one way, by day another/                        

This shall be the norm/Until you find true love’s first kiss/

 Then…take love’s true form.”

About the artists:

Hermine A. Sammut:
Austrian married to a Maltese, has been exhibiting her work since 2003.  She lived for seven years in Bugibba , Malta  before moving to Gozo.  Inspired by the colours and landscape of Gozo, she reflects her impressions, feelings and thoughts in acrylic painting, three-dimensional artwork, sculpture, functional ceramics and designer jewellery.  Hermine shows her work in galleries throughout the Maltese islands and abroad, as well as at her home/come studio in Nadur, where she also teaches art to private students. For her "ART is the creativity of visualizing thoughts" (Hermine Sammut  Jan 2005)

Recent Exhibitions:
2008: 
June Sculpture commissioned by the Austrian Embassy inaugurated in The Garden of Serenity
March & Mai Core Green exhibition at Melita Gardens Balzan & Garden festival Ta'Qali 
March:Jewellery show at Sai Kung Hong Kong

2007: 
"HEIMaltaAustriaTogether" Vienna Art&more gallery
Artists@Home for Christmas, with three other Gozo-based artists, Sannat, Gozo
”Autumn Encounter-Herbsttreffen2: Reincarnation of Waste“ with Jackie Roberts, Artbox, Qala
“Giuseppe Garibaldi Competition” Cultural Institute Malta / "K.M.N.P.G.P.2 Exhibiton" Gozo 
“National Art Competition&Exhibiton” Malta / “Eden Foundation” Gozo / "Treaty Rome"Nadur 
2006: 
“Jewellery Exhibition” Sittingbourne England / 
"Just men" Fishing boat Gozo 
”Alley Gall'y“ Gozo / “Open Weekend“ Artbox Gozo /” Eden Foundation” Gozo

Home Gallery Gozo: 
MecMic Cimcem Str. 1162 Nadur Gozo Malta
Online shop:
www.sammuts.com

The artists words to her work:

Explanation of new work for ‘By Night One way…’ exhibition

“I have been always fascinated with how light at night can change things. The whole atmosphere around one transforms itself into a different world. Our eyes are focussed on the lit up objects and are not distracted by the variety of colours. Darkness brings us closer to the beauty of shapes and forms with their shades and shadows. Colours get a warmer touch through artificial light; some of them almost disappear into the dark background.

We are easily tempted to associate dark with evil, fear and bad things, but forget that we can concentrate better in the dark; we can rest and focus better. We see things differently by night, than we see them by day. This reminds me that in our lives everything has got two sides: a dark one and a light one; depending on how we look at it. Sometimes we are just trapped to see things from one angle. Pain does not let us see another side, but when we get some distance and we take time to understand, we will be able to see the other side too. 

With my work I would like to demonstrate that the oppositions need each other to form one unit; as Ying/Yang shows us.  I would like to make people aware to look at things from different angles, to try to understand the variety of ways we think and react.

The latest sculptures shown in this exhibition are influenced by my visits to Honk Kong - a totally different culture to ours.  People look different and live differently, yet still you see so much interaction between so many nationalities – a sign of acceptance and tolerance of the differences between humans. We need each other to form a unit. We need each other to learn and to progress. Like Princess Fiona says in Shrek: “By night one way, by day another “– she wishes that Shrek looks at her, discovers both sides of her and sees her real values!”

Jackie Roberts:
Originally from England , creates art in metal from a workshop in Ghasri. Inspired by the natural world, particularly the sea, and the fusion of different cultures and traditions Jackie has become especially known for realistic Mediterranean fish hand-crafted from metal. She often incorporates recycled metal and found material into her work; experimenting recently with three dimensional, abstract and representational forms.  She uses mild steel, copper and brass coloured using a technique of ‘painting’ with heat.  Jackie teaches artistic metalwork to adults; undertakes commissions and shows her work in galleries, restaurants, bars. She has taken part in collective exhibitions in Scotland and throughout Malta and Gozo; exhibiting at Gallery G, Artitude, and the Eden Foundation collective exhibitions.

Recent Exhibitions
2008:
March & May: one of the Core Green artists exhibiting at Melita Gardens , Balzan and at the Earth Garden festival, Ta’ Qali , Malta
Ongoing: collective exhibitions at scotlandart.com, Edinburgh and The Strathearn Gallery, Crieff , Scotland

2007:
Artists@Home for Christmas, with three other Gozo-based artists, Sannat, Gozo
Reincarnation of Waste & New Work in Metal with Hermine A. Sammut at ArtBox, Qala, Gozo
Go Fish, first solo exhibition, at Art..e Gallery, Rabat , Gozo.  

2006:
Mixed Blessings, with Derek R. Roberts at ArtBox, Qala, Gozo

Work shop: 
1 Ghammar Street Ghasri, Gozo Malta
+356 79562753 /+356 21564374

 The artists words to her work:

Explanation of new work for ‘By Night One way…’ exhibition

“When I created this new work I was always thinking about the symbolic reality of ‘light and dark’ in its many aspects, and how we all experience this duality in different ways.  The light is often viewed as safer, more desirable, respectable even.  Yet we are constantly drawn to the dark side of life and both aspects have value.  In order to truly appreciate light one has to embrace the dark; welcome it even.  Opposites attract.

When I am working in metal; although I never play music externally finding it too distracting I find lyrics and rhythms going through my head constantly and this influences my creative process.  The titles of some of my pieces reflect this.

I have experimented with hanging and spinning forms in this exhibition and love the way the metal panels, frames and shapes cast shadows, reflect light and change their form in sunlight, artificial light, candle light and semi-darkness. They also work from both sides. The sculptor Alexander Calder’s modernist kinetic forms have been a great source of inspiration.  I wanted to create work which would give pleasure outdoors as well as indoors and be appropriate to the theme in both.

Metal is a fabulous medium to work with – copper, mild steel, brass, stainless steel - industrial metals. The process is very physical.   Revealing the hidden beauty in metal is my aim; and sometimes it takes a woman’s touch.  The technique of ‘painting with heat’ I have developed has been used in a more abstract direction in these newer works.  I’ve had fun interpreting the theme and hope people will appreciate the new abstraction  as well as the more representational work.”
Metal is a fabulous medium to work with – copper, mild steel, brass, stainless steel - industrial metals. The process is very physical.   Revealing the hidden beauty in metal is my aim; and sometimes it takes a woman’s touch.  The technique of ‘painting with heat’ I have developed has been used in a more abstract direction in these newer works.  I’ve had fun interpreting the theme and hope people will appreciate the new abstraction  as well as the more representational work.”
June 2008

“měi zhí “

“beauty of character or quality” by day  

“měi zhí “ by night

Water creature by night
Hermine Sammut

3 edges of Life by day
Hermine Sammut

3 edges of Life by night
Hermine Sammut

Angel of Hope by night
Jackie Roberts

Angel of Hope by day
Jackie Roberts

Maltese Falcon by day
 Jackie Roberts

Maltese Falcon by night
 Jackie Roberts

The ‘Ball and Chain’ works were a new passion for me and working with barbed wire fitted the theme; incorporating the heart/arrow forms which I have used before.  

The Ball and Chain by night
Jackie Roberts

Barbed wire is highly symbolic – it keeps things out, protects, contains and imprisons.  An encounter with it can be painful and the scars lasting. The ball and chain is also a potent symbol of something which drags us down.  The heart is fixed in the centre of these forms.
The Ball  and Chain by day
Jackie Roberts

The spinning panels are womanly forms and represent ‘Both Sides of Life’.   follow us.

Both Sides of Life 
Jackie Roberts

We all have our vibrant times; the times when we shine.  Then there are the dark aspects. Our  dark shadows

Both Sides of Life
Jackie Roberts

‘Key to a Woman’s Heart’ was a work I made last year when I was using recycled and found metal. Really it’s about how sometimes it takes a new key to open the old lock we have placed around our heart.  I had found the old lock on a walk a few years ago and had been waiting for the right inspiration to use it in an artwork.
Jackie Roberts

Maltese Heritage by night
Sterling Silver 925 combined with ceramic
Hermine Sammut

Shallow water by night 
Sterling Silver 925 combined Stone
Hermine Sammut

                  For further information e-mail us or phone 
Hermine A. Sammut: hermine@sammuts.com  Tel: +356 79 617 746 
Jackie Roberts  jax@vol.net.mt  Tel+ 356 79 562 753
Hope to see you soon!