Self-taught artist Shaun Grech is currently exhibiting 43 new works in an exhibition entitled “Pictures from the Outside”. The exhibition is being held at 88, Melita Street Valletta running from the 27th of January till the 12th of February.

Grech’s work is solely figurative, and is unique both in his honest depiction of people and the way he blends the chaotic, painful, disturbing, sexual and political in the characters he creates. In fact it is extremely difficult pigeonholing or categorising Grech’s work.

Grech’s sources of inspiration are many, but he states there’s no favourite artist or figure under whose shadow he works. As Grech states: “some people want to paint horsies, flowers, buildings and emulate others…. I want to depict pain, chaos, and people in the way that only I see them…that’s what’s real for me! The world’s in a perpetual mess anyway and a good look around is enough to get me painting most of the time.”

Grech’s work is unusually unconstrained by the rigid structures of the usual art circles, and in most regards can be considered completely different from what generally occupy the mainstream art scene. In fact he states: “I am not ashamed to say I am completely untrained, self-taught and constantly self-teaching… and I consider this an asset!”

Grech’s paintings are also available on: www.shaungrech.com, an online gallery updated weekly with new works. Opening times for the gallery are updated on a day to day basis on the above website.