Margarita Peralta, a ‘hidden secret’ of Gib’s art world, opens first solo exhibition

After a lifetime of drawing and painting out of the public limelight, a Gibraltarian artist described as “a hidden secret” this week opened her first solo exhibition at the age of 80.

At a packed opening in the Fine Arts Gallery on Tuesday evening, Margarita Peralta showcased 64 artworks charting her evolution as a passionate painter who produced captivating images rarely seen save by friends and family.

Mrs Peralta grew up in Tangier, where she began drawing at the age of 15, inspired by the husband of her English teacher who was an artist in Tangier.

On moving to Gibraltar, she took lessons from the late Gibraltarian artist Olympia Reyes – full disclosure, this reporter’s mother - later studying with a French artist in Torreguadiaro and Spanish artists in San Roque and La Linea.

Eventually she joined the L’Atelier Art Group run by another Gibraltarian artist, Ambrose Avellano.

Between 2008 and 2012, Mrs Peralta exhibited her work at Sacarello’s Coffee Shop and participated in group exhibitions organised by the Gibraltar Fine Arts Gallery.

But the exhibition opening this week in the Casemates gallery is her first solo exhibition, prompted by encouragement from her friend Lilly Ferrary.

Thrilled by the well-attended opening and the warm reception to her art, Mrs Peralta said it had been personal circumstances and “perhaps a bit of laziness” that had stopped her from taking the step sooner in life.

The exhibition, titled ‘The Debut’, brings together 64 artworks covering subjects including landscapes, still life paintings and portraits, mostly in oils but including some in pastels and acrylics too.

They include distinctive artworks with often bold strokes and an elegant use of paint to capture stark contrasts ranging from Mediterranean and North African scenes in bright colours and vibrant light and shade, to the subtle hues of an overcast Norfolk landscape and an autumnal wood in England.

Joseph Alecio, of the Gibraltar Fine Arts Association, described Mrs Peralta’s art as “reminiscent of a renaissance, rustic vibe” and there is certainly a pastoral, bucolic feel to many of her paintings.

Her inspiration comes from the things she enjoys in life and from scenes and images that capture her imagination, often reflecting scenes from her life in Gibraltar and in Morocco.

“It always has to be something that I like, or it doesn’t flow,” Mrs Peralta told the Chronicle during a brief chat at the opening, snatched between a constant flow of people coming up to congratulate her and share some words of praise.

Speaking at the opening, Mr Avellano said he had been delighted on learning that Mrs Peralta planned to host the exhibition.

“Because this woman is a hidden secret,” he told guests.

“Very few people except for friends and family know her work and it was about time that she showed her talent to Gibraltar.”

Mr Avellano said that when he first came to know Mrs Peralta, he rapidly realised that she did not need a teacher.

“What she needed was somebody to mentor her, ‘por que lo lleva dentro’,” he said.

“That’s what we’ve got here. Innate talent.”

The exhibition at the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates runs until midday on Friday May 16.