Kitchen Studios celebrates anniversary with exhibition showcase

A multi-disciplinary exhibition celebrating five years of Kitchen Studios opened at GEMA Gallery at Montagu Bastion.

Billed as the first of an array of events to be held in the coming months, the exhibition brings together 12 different artists with diverse mediums such as sound, photography and interactive glass works.

The exhibition runs for a week and features artists Alan Perez, Patrizia Imossi, Alex Menez, Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga, Ermelinda Duarte, Judith Shaylor, Davina Barbara, Lizanne Figueras, Phoebe Kelly, Naomi Purswani, Stephanie Yeo and Naomi Martinez.

Kitchen Exhib 030519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) at GEMA Gallery

Kitchen Exhib 030519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) at GEMA Gallery

Ms Menez one told the Chronicle the exhibition brings together people who have been with Kitchen through its journey as well as adding some new artists to the line-up.

Ms Menez has been a member of Kitchen for 18 months and is exhibiting photographs of her best friend.

“People sometimes find it hard to express themselves in words but she expresses herself in the way she dresses and her look,” she said.

“I have tried to bring out her personality not only in photos but in words.”

She added: “Personally I am a really big fan of the majority of them, obviously I am a big fan of Stefano Blanca’s ugly vegetables and fruit but I also really like Naomi’s work from Berlin.”
“I also really like Pat Imossi’s use of colours.”

Kitchen Exhib 030519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) at GEMA Gallery

Kitchen Exhib 030519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) at GEMA Gallery

The artworks incorporate photography, sculpture, and even sound.

Describing the importance of Kitchen Studios, Ms Menez said: “Kitchen is a bass for us, it has grown into something bigger than it has been in the last few years. It’s message is still there that we need spaces, we need areas where we can create.”

“Most people don’t have space in their own home or have a friend with a studio for example, we just want to be able to allow people to create.”

“We also consider ourselves a group that is important to each other because we want to give each other the opportunity to work with people they would never have thought to work with or with the different mediums of art. There is a massive scope for us to create within each other.”

While she acknowledges that there are creative spaces in Gibraltar “this is something that is more diverse.”

Kitchen Exhib 030519 { seq} ( Photo John Bugeja) at GEMA Gallery

“We are looking for everyone and anyone and if you have something different then great that is even better,” she added.

The pieces that form the exhibition are not for sale during the week.

The exhibition is open on weekdays until May 17.

Pics by Johnny Bugeja