Maltese artist Dominique Ciancio has unveiled his tenth solo exhibition titled "ĊAFĊIF," featuring a compelling new series of paintings that explore the imagined voice of the sea. The exhibition presents an artistic interpretation of stories the ocean might tell, deeply influenced by Malta's island landscape that has been carved and shaped by waves over centuries.
The exhibition's distinctive title derives from a Maltese term that describes the act of splashing or playing in water. This onomatopoeic word captures a sound that is simultaneously timeless, repetitive, and cyclical, serving as a direct linguistic representation of the sea's enduring and constant rhythm. The name itself reflects the deep connection between language and the maritime environment that defines Malta's identity.
Born in 1983, Ciancio brings a diverse educational and professional background to his artistic practice. He graduated with degrees in History of Art and Philosophy from the University of Malta in 2004, followed by a four-year Fine Arts diploma from the Malta School of Art. His career took an interesting turn in 2005 when he joined the Art Department at Universal Studios Inc., where he contributed to major film productions directed by renowned filmmakers including Steven Spielberg. At the age of 26, while residing in Oslo, Norway, Ciancio made the pivotal decision to dedicate himself entirely to painting, developing what he describes as a meticulous, process-driven approach to creating "handmade images."
Ciancio's artistic vision centers on the sea's reflective qualities, often characterizing the ocean as a profound maritime mirror. In his canvases, the sea functions as a powerful visual allegory for introspection and dialogue, inviting viewers to engage in deeper contemplation. Through deliberately loose and playful brushstrokes, he constructs an artistic conversation between the island environment and central maritime figures, specifically traditional boats and swimmers, who serve as the collection's main protagonists.
The paintings function as meditative explorations of island identity and personal longing, with each element carrying symbolic weight. Swimmers in Ciancio's work represent metaphors for yearning, heritage, and memory, symbolizing complete immersion in both collective and personal history. The traditional boats stand as powerful vessels representing craftsmanship, cultural continuity, identity, and lived historical experience. Meanwhile, the sea itself is portrayed with complex duality—serving as both a divider and a connector, simultaneously isolating communities while linking them to the broader world, marking the distinction between what feels safe and familiar versus what remains untamed and unknown.
Ciancio's figurative artistic style deliberately aims to evoke a strong sense of place while engaging with universal themes of struggle, belonging, vulnerability, and identity as living, dynamic narratives rather than static concepts. His work actively reframes Malta's national identity as something luminous yet conflicted and constantly evolving, shaped by shared collective memory and ongoing community choices. Through this artistic lens, the island's relationship with the surrounding Mediterranean becomes a metaphor for broader human experiences of connection and isolation.
The exhibition will remain available for public viewing at Il-Kamra ta Fuq from December 7th through December 21st, providing art enthusiasts and the general public an opportunity to experience Ciancio's latest maritime-inspired works. This exhibition represents a significant milestone in the artist's career, marking his tenth solo show and demonstrating his continued evolution as one of Malta's prominent contemporary artists.
