Getting accepted into the University of Malta might be one of the greatest achievements many yearn for. After sleepless nights and a mountain of assignments and notes, getting accepted is what makes it all worth it. But when the results are not what you expected, and the requirements are not reached, some may get discouraged from studying altogether.
On the other hand, others may take this as an opportunity to push themselves to do bigger things. Mattia is a 20-year-old art student pursuing his dream at the University of Arts London (UAL), after not having enough points to apply to the University of Malta.
Studying abroad was always on Mattia’s bucket list, however, he never expected it to be so soon and sudden. His journey all started after failing his maths A-Level exam during his first year at Junior College. He then dropped it and switched gears completely by choosing Art instead. “I focused mainly on my Art A-Level, completely abandoning my other subjects just to get an A,” Mattia said. Most Universities abroad required a B or better grade in Art, and so he made it a point to get it. However, that did not go as planned.
Mattia got very low grades, and due to the resit system here in Malta, he was only able to retake one A-Level, which further slowed down his process of getting into University. Failing again, Mattia saw this as a wake-up call to do something about it. “In a way failing my A-Levels made me strive for excellent marks abroad so I can prove myself regardless of previous results,” Mattia said.
After going through countless different universities and getting advice from professionals in the field, Mattia randomly stumbled upon a foundation course through an Instagram Ad. He was instantly intrigued. “I checked their website out – they seemed cool. So, I applied for the position, got an interview, flew to London for the interview, fell in love with the school instantly, and got accepted,” Mattia said. And that is how his journey in the United Kingdom all came about.
The year was one for the books. There was a lot of personal growth. Not only did Mattia grow as an artist, but the experience also made him “mature emotionally” as he proudly put it. The foundation course is normally seen as unimportant; just another step to take before starting University. However, Mattia completely disagrees. “The foundation course was amazing,” he said, “the best thing I have ever done in my life – the teachers were amazing, the classmates were amazing and I have met some of my best friends there as well.” Mattia managed to get a distinction and was also accepted into the University of Arts London, and Goldsmiths which boasts a low acceptance rate of below 10%!
The art field here in Malta is often looked down upon. Even the way examinations and assignments are handled is quite archaic as Mattia describes it. Students are required to submit between 10 to 20 artworks, a sketchbook which requires a lot of work, a personal project that you do throughout the two years at Junior College and, to top it all off, MATSEC sends you a project title that you need to finalise in 5 weeks. Aside from that, you will also be sitting for 3 exams. There is a lot of pressure on quantity rather than quality when it comes to these assessments. This takes away from the expressive and personal experience that art should be.
Whereas the art scene in Malta may come across as rigid and proper, Mattia simply describes his own style as dumb. “The dumber, the funnier, the better,” he said. Humour plays a huge part in his art and in fact, his favourite art piece is the perfect example of this. “The Shitty Lamp” is a piece that Mattia worked on this year. It is a huge headpiece made out of toilet paper and the aim of this project was to shift elements of an object; if it is smooth, make it rough, if it is hard, make it soft, and if it is big, make it small. The initial idea was to have an installation where the audience would flip the switch and the lamp wouldn’t turn on. On top of it, burnt toilet paper would have been stuck to it and hence the name “Shitty Lamp” came about (for the sake of the double meaning).
The installation was never finished and the lamp was never used. So, Mattia decided to go for a more current and potentially relatable piece. He made a spherical headpiece out of toilet paper and stuck it on his friend’s head. It has since become one of his strongest pieces ever. The piece was especially relevant because it was created at the peak of quarantine when the craze about hoarding toilet paper had gone viral. This is the beauty of art according to Mattia; that you can create a work of art from anything (even toilet paper) and have it resonate with many different people for different reasons.
Toilet paper is one of Mattia’s favourite media since it is easy to work with, but also very dumb. Aside from the toilet paper headpiece, Mattia also made a Toilet Paper dress which is his “pride and joy”. There is no explanation to why he likes it so much, he just does.
Back in November 2017, Mattia bought his first camera and he has been using it ever since. “Once I bought my camera, I knew exactly that I wanted to shoot portraits. Granted, the first images were bad,” Mattia admitted. As with anything, it was only a matter of time, practice and experimentation until he slowly started realising his true photography style, which is that of surrealism and fantasy. His latest shoot was called “Reincarnation of Death”, arguably a complete 180 from the first shoot he had done, from the preparation to the actual result. Mattia now also confidently uses props and makeup in his shoots, something he had not previously been familiar with.
The difference he saw in himself as a photographer and as an artist is that he is now more confident behind the camera. It is not just the model that needs to radiate confidence. The photographer needs to be able to take charge of the set by directing the actors properly so that their image can come to fruition in the shoot.
Being able to create an art piece is one thing, but being able to showcase it to an audience is another. Mattia posts all his work through his Instagram page – varying from illustrations, photoshoots, to other current projects. “Photography was mainly my art medium but now it is for communication rather than the element of art,” Mattia said.
After a short break here in Malta for the summer, Mattia is now back in London working on his Bachelor’s Degree. He plans on finishing his B.A, eventually getting his Masters and then continuing to work in the field. He hopes that one day he can return to Malta and help aspiring artists who may be disheartened or confused as he had been. “I want to help young artists as much as possible – opening up spaces for exhibitions, studios, and teaching new techniques that do not exist here.”
