Heritage Malta Brings Calì’s Bold Brushstrokes To Lija

Press Release│19 September 2025

Heritage Malta’s acclaimed touring exhibition ‘Celebrating Giuseppe Calì’ – the second in the outreach series ‘Your MUŻA’ – has reached Lija, the town where the artist’s brush created both beauty and bold critique. The exhibition runs until the 29th of September, before proceeding to Sliema for its final stop.

Now hosted at the Parish Church of Christ the Saviour in Lija – the third stop in its itinerary – the exhibition invites the visiting public to rediscover Calì’s genius in another setting with which it bears a special connection.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Mark Sagona, Head of the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta, as a testament to the strengthened ties and collaboration between Heritage Malta and the University. ‘Celebrating Giuseppe Calì’ brings together some of the artist’s most renowned masterpieces, including ‘The Death of Dragut’ (from MUŻA), alongside art pieces from contemporaries, artistic sketches, his baptismal and death records, and other documents shedding light on aspects of the artist’s life.

Born in Valletta in 1846, Calì trained in Naples before returning to Malta, where he quickly became one of the island’s most sought-after artists. In Lija, his brilliance is still visible in works such as the Immaculate Conception and the Crucifixion (1891), the dome of the parish church (1893), and ‘Jesus with the Children’ on the painted ceiling of the same church (1897). These masterpieces, still in place, frame this exhibition with a powerful sense of homecoming.

Calì often used art to convey his thoughts and opinions. In Lija, he painted the prophet Jonah aghast at another artist’s disproportioned figures, and portrayed Micheas as himself, inscribing Fame Pereo (“I am dying of hunger”) across his chest – a plea or fair pay. On the backing panel of his Crucifixion (1891), Calì even left a poem lamenting the preference for Italian painters over Maltese ones, a struggle that marked much of his career.

Mario Cutajar, Director of MUŻA, Chairman of Heritage Malta and curator of this exhibition, commented: “The response to this exhibition, now at its third stop, has been truly encouraging. This is a positive sign on many levels: it shows that MUŻA’s initiatives are reaching people and being appreciated, while also raising awareness about Maltese art and, above all, Maltese artists. This success motivates us to continue building on such work – not only through MUŻA Ħdejk and the Malta Biennale, which is currently in full preparation for its second edition next year, but also through new initiatives and the ongoing transformation of the museum itself, as it continues to grow and fulfil the objectives for which it was created.”

A richly illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition, available for purchase in print on site and online here and digitally here. The exhibition runs at the Parish Church of Christ the Saviour in Lija till Monday 29th September. Opening hours are from 09:00am till 5:45pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00pm to 4:30pm on Sunday.

Admission is free.