The Fine Arts Gallery is hosting a solo exhibition by Paul Cosquieri, an ascending local artist who enjoys flirting with exaggeration: large canvasses, bold shapes, striking colours, accentuated three-dimensionality, and epic pathos. Paul’s academic background in Graphic Design permeates all his artwork and effectively conveys a powerful message as well as making an excellent decoration for any modern environment. In his website www.cosqui.com, his style is defined with the phrase: “If what you are after is a pretty painting, then forget about Cosqui. His work has more to do with experimenting than with reproduction” — in his paintings, particularly the Rock Formation series which he is concentrating on at present, he’s questing for texture, lines and shapes to mix in a sort of bas-relief effect, that makes his work an art object not only to watch but also to stroke. Paul first received recognition in 2004, when his painting The Smoker, artwork with the communicative impact of an anti-cigarette campaign ad, was highly commended in the 31st Gibraltar International Art Exhibition. Then he won second prize with Rock Formations 5 at the 2004 Spring Art Festival, to achieve top spot this year with first prize at the 32nd International Art Exhibition, judged by world renowned UK artist Anthony Whishaw, who also studied art at Chelsea School of Art, where Paul undertook his foundation course in Art and Design. In fact, Paul was awarded a scholarship from the Government of Gibraltar in 1982 to study at the prestigious London school, an intense year during which he experimented in many different aspects of Art and Design, including Fine Art, Product Design, Fashion and Textile Design, and Graphic Design. The years from 1991 to 1997 can be described as Paul’s ‘dry period’ in relation to fine arts, because his business commitments took over his lifelong passion, which was put on hold to have its resurrection when Paul entered 9 Rocks in the 1997 International Art Exhibition. Some of his smaller Rocks have recently been exhibited at Beau Jangles in Main Street. If Cosqui (his artistic signature) is synonymous with tri-dimensions within the bi-dimensional space of a canvas, it is because Paul loves toying with sculpture, not for sculpture’s sake, but to highlight artfile corporeity as a mean of expression, and create a model to use as starting point for his plastic paintings. This interest in anatomy comes vividly to the fore in Paul’s life drawings that testify to his quest to understand what lies beneath the skin, and gain a deeper insight into humanity itself. Hence, Paul’s life drawings are seldom ‘nice’, and often express an uncompromising depiction of the human form in a stark and immediate way. But he can also excel in the production of more ‘traditional’ artwork: he got his first commission in secondary school with an 11 x 3 feet canvas portraying HMS Victory in a sea battle, now on permanent display onboard the British Navy’s Frigate RFA Olwen — enjoying a return to the spotlight in this year’s Trafalgar bicentenary celebrations! by Elena Scialtiel

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