Ryan Falzon
Ryan Falzon is an artist hailing from Malta, born in 1988. His artistic pursuits encompass painting, printmaking, and writing. Falzon delves into the realms of contemporary duality, narrative exploration, social media, human interaction, and existential conditions within his vibrant and expressive works. Over the past few years, he has established a distinctive voice and style in the political art scene of Malta, known for his provocative and playful approach. Employing a collage-like technique, Falzon constructs narratives by arranging disparate images, inviting viewers to embark on visual journeys.
Since 2020, Falzon has been passionately working on his Botanica Series, a collection of internal scapes and still lifes that have garnered widespread acclaim from critics. These artworks, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, delve into central themes of domestic settings, personal growth, environmental issues, and a biophilic sentiment. In a post-pandemic scenario, Falzon's latest works exhibit a poetic ambiguity, interweaving elements from everyday life, pop culture, the profane, and urban legends. Through the fusion of imagery, text, and symbols, his pieces create subtle and uncertain narratives, framed by raw emotions and a profound sense of existentialism.
Falzon began his artistic journey by studying Fine Arts at MCAST Art and Design in Malta from 2009 to 2011, under the tutelage of Gilbert Calleja, Katya Borg, and Sinead Rice. He further honed his skills with guidance from Robert Zahra. Falzon holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from MCAST (Malta), earned in conjunction with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (Germany). Throughout his degree program, he received instruction from professors at the Bauhaus and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences. Since 2009, Falzon has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Malta and Europe, with his works finding their place in both public and private collections in Europe and the USA.
Between 2013 and 2015, Falzon undertook the role of managing the Xarolla Windmill Project, a collective aimed at supporting emerging artists through multidisciplinary works. In May 2014, Falzon's artistic prowess earned him recognition as an artist for the global "Transform Today" project by Absolut Vodka. Michael A. Fenech, a curator and theatre director, has mentored Falzon since 2016. Falzon's body of work from 2016 to 2019, including notable pieces like "Quick Fix: A Morality Tale" (2016), "We Lost the War" (2017), and "Culture is Past Art is Future" (2018), has become a point of reference in the contemporary local political art scene. Falzon holds the position of a Senior and IB Sixth Form art instructor at St. Edward's College in Birgu, Malta.
Currently, Falzon is pursuing a Master of Arts in Fine Arts at the University of Malta, under the guidance of Dr. Gilbert Calleja in the Department of Art and Art History. Since 2011, Falzon has also published several short pieces in various publications, making his mark in local anthologies and actively participating in local literary circles. In 2022, Falzon added the title of published author to his accomplishments with the release of his first novel, Sajf, published by Kotba Calleja. This literary work has been hailed as the voice of the Maltese millennial generation.