Arti : my land, my drawings - some nostalgic impressions

Abstract

In the 70 years or so since the end of the Second World War, the Maltese countryside has undergone a vast transformation. Huge swathes of the island have been taken over and covered by a continuous carpet of urban buildings. For many years this transformation has been viewed as a sign of prosperity, but the loss of precious virgin land has, invariably, gone hand-in-hand with the haemorrhage of the ancient and traditional heritage elements that have for centuries given the Maltese rural landscape its unique aesthetic qualities and identity. Although it is still possible to encounter pockets of the countryside which remain untainted by modern development, the authentic rustic spaces are becoming increasingly rare as more and more countryside is consumed or disfigured to accommodate urban and industrial needs. This brief article and accompanying pen sketches by the author seek to capture the soul of this fragile, and slowly disappearing, Maltese rural heritage.