Soleci to debut fourth solo exhibition at Kitchen Studios

Local artist Aaron Soleci will debut his fourth solo exhibition, Till the Wheels Fall Off, at Kitchen Studios on Friday, November 6. 

The collection of paintings and drawings offers a personal insight into Mr Soleci’s work, reflecting his restless creative energy and tendency to move between different styles. 

Mr Soleci told the Chronicle the title referred to pursuing something until complete exhaustion, which he felt “fits well with my manner of working”. He said he produced a large volume of work and moved between styles in pursuit of excitement. 

This marks a change in how he views his artistic development. While he previously worried about changing styles, he now embraces experimentation. 

“The end result is what it is, but it's the process of making and fleshing out new projects that interest me,” he said. 

Mr Soleci began drawing cartoons as a child as a way of coping with his learning difficulties. He has continued to use art as a visual diary, with his latest collection exploring a range of human experiences. 

The collection developed from an experimental move into Art Nouveau earlier this year, which led him to explore animation as a means of expressing human emotion. He turned cartoons into parodies of his darker work and began exploring whether iconic figures could be humanised. 

“I, for example, paint the soul of Mickey Mouse. What lies behind that joyful persona, these things interest me,” he said. 

Mr Soleci said the support of friends and family had been important during preparations for the exhibition. 

“I think without the support from friends and family it is harder to prepare, they have been extremely supportive,” he said. 

He also thanked the team at Kitchen Studios for their support and commitment to promoting art. 

“I would like to thank the Kitchen crew, (Kitchen Studios) they have been extremely supportive and keep pushing art forward, I am very happy to be a part of them where ideas can be shared and their support is very much appreciated.” 

Mr Soleci said art also played an important role during difficult times. 

“Like all of us we go through some tough times. I believe the world is imperfect, if the world was perfect there would be no need for art.” 

Speaking about Gibraltar’s art scene, he said the community was full of creative talent. 

“Gibraltar is full of talented, brilliantly creative people in all fields of art,” he said. 

He added: “I hope the audience receives some inspiration and a sense of a life lived through art.”