Your MUŻA: Celebrating Giuseppe Calì

The touring exhibition ‘Your MUŻA: Celebrating Giuseppe Calì’ has now reached its final destination at the Sacro Cuor Parish Church in Sliema, after successful stops in Valletta, Mosta, and Lija. The exhibition runs until Wednesday 15th October.

Born in Valletta in 1846, Giuseppe Calì stands as one of Malta’s most celebrated artists. The son of Neapolitan parents who sought refuge in Malta, Calì trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples before returning home to leave a lasting legacy. Initially making his name as a theatre scenographer, he went on to paint portraits and undertake commissions for numerous churches across Malta and Gozo.

‘Your MUŻA’ is an outreach initiative designed to take artworks from the national collection beyond the walls of MUŻA, Malta’s National Community Art Museum. By hosting temporary displays in localities connected with the featured artist, the project makes national treasures more accessible to the public. The exhibition’s first three stops drew hundreds of visitors, underlining the strong appetite for art experiences closer to communities.

The Sliema presentation holds special significance. It reunites the parish with the original bozzetto of its titular painting depicting St Jerome, painted by Calì in 1881 and brought exclusively from MUŻA. The work shows the saint in a cave, meditating before a cross and the Holy Scripture, and was commissioned by Count Girolamo Tagliaferro. Alongside this, visitors can admire Calì’s renowned ‘The Death of Dragut’, works by his contemporaries, preparatory sketches, and archival documents that reveal intimate details of the artist’s life.

A richly illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition, available in print for purchase at the venue and online here or digitally here.

Opening hours are from 9:30am till 6:00pm from Monday to Friday, from 9:30am to 4:30pm on Saturday, and from 12:00pm to 6:00pm on Sunday. Entrance is completely free.