This year the Malta Society of Arts will be awarding its Gold Medal to ceramist Paul Haber.
The ceremony will take place at the Concert Hall of Palazzo de La Salle on Thursday 6 December 2018 at 7pm.
Paul Haber biography:
Born in Gozo, Malta, Paul Haber graduated in ceramics from Central St. Martins College of Art in London after following intensive studies in art and sculpture in Malta, Italy and the UK.
Today Paul produces unique ceramic art works, which although dissimilar to each other, bear the imprint, inspiration and skilled execution which connects each superb piece created by him.
Although intrinsically simple in form, Paul’s works invoke a power which belies the seemingly effortless building techniques culminating in the final creation. His choice of glazes, whether in bright or muted hues, or even the lack of glazing, when he is impelled to use the natural colours of the different clay bodies as his canvas, are in perfect harmony, complementing the inspired idea exposed to the viewer in a myriad of forms and shapes. These are at times deformed or purposely distorted to engage the audience and stimulate each viewer to allow for personal interpretation.
Without forcing himself or the material he treats with sublimity, Paul produces exciting works, which like his own spirit, are uncomplicated but strong, minimal but at the same time laden with feelings and inspirations etched on his soul through a lifetime of memories, impressions and experiences.
Paul has exhibited his works in several collective exhibitions and personal shows in museums and art galleries in Malta and abroad, with the most important ones being his exhibitions at the Lincoln Centre in New York, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and his retrospective exhibition in the Bank of Valletta series.
History of the Gold Medal Award
The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, established just over 160 years ago, was, for at least a century, the islands’ only nationally recognised promoter of the Arts. Palazzo de La Salle served as the meeting place and exhibition space for the Accademia di Belle Arti group founded by Josef Kalleja in 1930. Notably, in the early 1950’s, the Society came to the aid of the newly-formed Modern Art movements and awarded scholarships to some of the great artists of the time, including Giuseppe Calì, Antonio Sciortino and Joseph Briffa.
Throughout the years, the Exhibition Halls of Palazzo de La Salle have been graced with the works of Malta’s great masters including Anton Inglott, Gianni Vella, Vincent Apap, Lazzaro Pisani and Edward Caruana Dingli.
Past recipients of the Gold Medal Award have included such illustrious names as Sir Temi Zammit (1904), Robert Caruana Dingli (1916), Emvin Cremona (1963), Oreste Chircop (1997), Richard England (1984), Joseph Calleja (2007), Harry Alden (2013) and Carmine Lauri (2015) to name but a few.
