Graduate Showcase highlights Gibraltar talent in illustration, fine art and architecture

Gibraltar’s young artists and architects are exhibiting their work at the Graduate Showcase 2025, taking place at GEMA Gallery on Line Wall Road, which will run until September 5.
The exhibition features the work of recent graduates illustrator Charlize Gingell, fine artist Jack Hernandez, and architects Enzo Matto and Lizhe (Enrique) Zhang Zhuo, who have all completed degrees in the UK.
Victor Gonzalez Fine Arts Association opened the exhibition, which is the second annual Visual Arts Exhibition that showcased the creative achievements of local graduates.

He noted that the exhibition, inspired by John Langdon’s vision, aims to provide graduates with the opportunity to display their work on home soil.

“When graduates finish their work in the UK, they exhibit their work there, but they don’t get the chance of exhibiting here.”

Mr Gonzalez took a moment to reflect on the evolution of Gibraltar’s education system.

“It’s a celebration of the education system in Gibraltar, thanks to teachers from first school all the way along,” he said. And that, thanks to Sir Joe Bossano, opportunities were available for local students, thanks to government support to pursue higher education abroad.

The graduates were encouraged to continue their creative pursuits regardless of commercial success.

“Never give up, regardless of whether you never sell a book, or you’ll never sell a painting, or you don’t become an architect. It doesn’t matter. It’s about doing wonderful work for the love of it,” he added.

Ms Gingell, who graduated with an MA in Illustration in 2024 and a BA in 2021 from the University of Hertfordshire, is showing her work on cultural preservation through children’s illustration. Her research has focused on Gibraltar’s history and heritage, with projects designed to encourage the use of llanito among children.

“I think it's a great opportunity to be able to showcase my work for other people see it. It's also a big boost in confidence to put something out there that you work so hard on,” she told the Chronicle.

She is exhibiting her final year project.

“When I was doing my thesis and my final outcome, I just decided, you know, to really go for it with the idea that I was doing it for an exhibition as well.”

“I just put my all into it and try and make it come out as nicely as I possibly could,” she said.

Mr Hernandez is a fine art graduate from the University of Northampton who is now pursuing a Master’s in Painting at Arts University Bournemouth. His work reflects his experiences of the sea and coastline, using impasto paint to create textured, immersive seascapes.

“I feel like it's a bit of an honour, actually, it's a great honour to be part of this exhibition, just exhibiting with fellow Gibraltarians, exhibiting my work,” he said.

On his favourite painting of the three on display, which he described as a tribute to his life, he said: “it's a piece of Little Bay that I've grown up near and that I go to almost every day that I'm at home, and while I'm away in university, I tend to think of the sea and Gibraltar a lot.”

Mr Matto, graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Part 1) from Lancaster University in July 2024. He is completing a placement year as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at WSRM Architects before starting an MArch at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, in September 2025.

His final-year project, Transient Ecologies, proposed a temporary postgraduate research university at Lake Windermere dedicated to aquatic conservation and sustainable water management.
“I'm just quite honoured to exhibit my work. It's the first time exhibiting my work other than like in crit at uni,” he said.

He added that it was “quite strange” to see his work on the wall. And that other people, who were not in his class, were now seeing his creations as they are “exposed to the public.”
“I feel proud,” he said.

Also exhibiting is Lizhe (Enrique) Zhang Zhuo, who completed an MSci in Architecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. One of his projects reimagines a Gibraltar in 1969 forced to rebuild itself with only salvaged resources, developing a new culture of reuse and sustainability.

The Graduate Showcase 2025 will run from August 26 to September 5 at GEMA Gallery.