James Micallef Grimaud

Overview

Considered to be the pioneer of street art on the Maltese islands, James Micallef Grimaud aka “Twitch” is responsible for the first graffiti and large-scale murals on the island. His work originates from an intimate relationship with the community.

He defines himself as an artist/anarchist. In his work, he seeks to show the fragility, transformation, gentrification and progressive dematerialisation of the cultural, strongly pronounced within the vibrant Mediterranean culture in which the resident artist works.

He has held several solo exhibitions and participated in collective shows both locally and internationally whilst also collaborating with various artists in exhibitions and street art projects all over the globe.

STJ Canvas

In this mural, I decided to take on a more naturalistic approach and made use of some of the most colourful migratory birds which visit Malta yearly. Some of the birds I’ve chosen have also been spotted in the valleys of St Julians and Pembroke.

The birds include the stork, Eurasian roller, bee-eater, kingfisher and the goldfinch. I used birds which have been featured in art nouveau creations due to their stylistic and classical features. The birds will be laid out in the mural in a way to create a flow and balance through colour.

The juxtaposition of these birds with the modern development around the area will create a balance between nature and man-made structures through an artistic context. The pattern used in the background is reminiscent of the Maltese tiles and is a classic illusion.