Christine X Art Gallery is presenting Anthony Weitz’s latest solo exhibition, Chasing the Light – Malta en plein air, a captivating collection of plein air oil paintings that celebrate the radiant essence of Malta. The exhibition is hosted at the newly-established 1926 La Galerie on Old Theatre Street in Valletta and will remain open to the public until 31 July.
Renowned for his bold, impressionistic style and atmospheric compositions, Weitz works directly on-site across Malta’s diverse landscapes, capturing fleeting effects of light and mood in real time. His work reflects the island’s sun-drenched coastlines, rustic village rooftops, quiet inland paths, and vibrant urban corners. From the raw immediacy of outdoor sketches to more reflective, interpretive studio pieces, Weitz invites viewers into a deeply personal and poetic dialogue with the Maltese landscape.
Spanning more than a decade, from 2012 to the present, the exhibition features 16 works, including both early plein air studies and more recent canvases that push toward abstraction. The selection traces the artist’s evolving relationship with Malta’s geography, shifting seasons and ever-changing light. Some pieces, like Veccja Harbour, offer swift, monochromatic studies executed on location, while others, such as Siege Bell, reveal the freedom of studio work where colour, brushwork, and emotion are unbound by visual realism.
Weitz describes painting en plein air as “reacting to the whole visual and visceral experience of being outside, and simply responding as quickly as possible before the sun moves on and colour and shadows change”. Inspired by artists like Sorolla and Chamberlain, he views this practice as both a challenge and a thrill – a way of embedding spontaneity and presence into every brushstroke. In contrast, studio work allows him “the freedom to abstract, interpret – a liberation from visual realism and the constraints of replication”.
Emotionally, the exhibition spans a wide range – from tranquil, contemplative scenes bathed in soft morning light to energetic compositions alive with movement and brilliance. The overall mood is both uplifting and introspective, offering a vivid portrait of Malta not just as a place, but as an experience.
“My aim,” says Weitz, “is not to paint a perfect picture, but to convey a moment of connection – the warmth of sun on stone, the hush of dawn, the pulse of the Mediterranean light. I want visitors to feel a quiet intimacy with the scenes, and maybe even recall their own moments of wonder in nature.”