Biography
Born in 1982 in Gozo Malta, Victor Agius as a child became acquainted with sculptural work thanks to his father Mario Agius who is a sculptor. After graduating from the University of Malta’s Fine Art Department (2004), he furthered his studies abroad: first in 2009 at the International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Perugia (Italy), then in 2011 at the Central Saint Martin’s College for Art and Design in London (UK). So far, his works have been shown at various artistic venues in Malta, among which the National Museum of Fine Arts and St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta, but also at many public places of cultural significance such as the Neolithic temples complex Ġgantija a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Mdina Cathedral. He has also participated in numerous international exhibitions: the Spazio Pastificio Cerere in Rome (2012), Galleria San Eufemia in Venice (2011), the Arte Padova Fair in Padova (2011), the Long Room Gallery at Oxford University (2010), the International Biennale of Contemporary Art in Florence (2009) and the Museum of Modern Art in Santo Domingo (2006). As an emerging talent from Malta he was selected to represent his country in the 2014 European Ceramic Context in Bornholm (Denmark). Recently his proposal for Public Art in Malta named Ħaġarna was selected in a national competition.
His practice consists of performance, installation, sculpture and painting. At its core, it concerns his work with formless matter. Agius examines the formless matter proper to his own experience of the environment –either randomly or carefully selected sites with their distinctive ecological and archeological features– which all finds its roots in the earth or soil-derived organic materials (raw clay, for instance, beside natural pigments, oils and acrylics). This has allowed him to produce a body of work through which to reflect upon the subject of human existence in general and the limits of his own existence in particular.
CV Victor Agius (b.1982)
Education
2014 Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture workshop led by Rafael Rafa Pérez at The Royal Danish Academy School of Design Bornholm, Denmark.
2011
Contemporary Fine Art Practice
Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, University of the Arts, London.
2009
International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, Perugia, Italy
2005-2009
Advanced Ceramics
Malta College of Art, Science and Technology.
1995 – 2005
Art classes under Harry Alden b.1929.
2000 – 2004
(Honours) Degree Art
University of Malta
Solo Exhibitions and collaborative projects
2015 KAPITELL, public sculpture at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta curated by Norbert Francis Attard.
2014 - Ġgantija 2013 Project Final Phase – (new works) Sculptures and mixed media work in collaboration with composer Dr Mariella Cassar and Dr Immanuel Mifsud, Curated by Dr Vince Briffa. St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta.
2013 – Ġgantija 2013 Project – Interventions in sculptures and performance work in collaboration with composer Dr Mariella Cassar, Curated by Dr Vince Briffa. Ggantija Temples, Gozo
2010 – La Materia – Gallery Art..e, Victoria, Gozo, Malta
2008 – Volumes, Ministry for Gozo, Gozo,Malta
2008 - Inside Out - b'art Art Gallery, Sliema, Malta
2007 - Galleria Athenaeum, Florence, Italy
2005 – Nativitas – Banca Giuratale, Gozo, Malta
2004 - Gaulos - Barumbara Art Gallery, Ghajnsielem Gozo.
Collective Exhibitions and Collaborative Projects.
selection
2015 The Mdina Cathedral Museum Biennale of Contemporary Art, curated by Dr Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci.
2015 Virtuoso, Studio 104, Valletta with Vince Briffa, Raphael Vella, Austin Camilleri and Ruth Bianco. Curated by Michelle Morrissey
2015 Neutralism, Pescara Italia.
2014 ZAGREBI Festival, Lauba Gallery, Zagreb Croatia, curated by Dr Marko Stamenkovic and Emil Matesic.
2014 European Ceramic Context in Bornholm (Denmark).
2014 /ru:t/ Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa, curated by Fabrizio Mifsud Soler and coordinated by Arts Council Malta
2014 Genesis, installed at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta during VIVA Festival with Austin Camilleri and JP Azzopardi. Curated by Dr Raphael Vella.
2013 Duke, Gozo Citadel, curated, by Austin Camilleri
2012 – SPAM, Pastificio Cerere, curated by Sguardo Contemporaneo, Rome, Italy
2011 – Arte Padova Art Fair, Padova, Italy
2011 - Galleria Sant Eufemia, Venice, Italy
2010 – ‘In Pulverem Reverteris’, Citadella, VISTA-the Victoria Contemporary Art Tour curated by Mario Cassar in Victoria Gozo.
2010 – ‘Evropa’ Long Room Gallery, Oxford University, UK
2010 – ‘Terrae’ – Galleria Mentana, Florence, Italy
2009 – ‘Biennale di Firenze’ – Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy
2008 - Madeira Internacional Arte Bienal - Museo Casa da Luz, Portugal
2009 – ‘Art in Mind’ - The BrickLane Gallery, London
2008, Centre Culturel Christiane Peugeot in Paris
2006 – Ceramic Tile Triennale – Museum of Modern Art, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican.
2004 – Your Eyes My Eyes Images of Displacement,
Degree Show - an art project focusing on refugees in Malta, St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, curated by Dr Raphael Vella
