Francis Galea


Artist Francis Galea is from Mosta but resides in Sliema.

It is hard for Francis to imagine a different occupation. Art and design were the key to his success in life.

“Art gave me the courage to believe in myself”, Francis says, “and design helped me understand the theory and practice of projection, perspective, and development skills in positive thinking.”

Galea studied art in the late 1960s at the Malta School of Arts under the supervision of the late Esprit Barthet, Carmenu Mangion and Harry Alden.

His impressionist work is unique as he paints with the palette knife in broad yet precise strokes on canvas in his recognisable impasto technique.

The subject matter of his oeuvre is usually connected with scenes from the romantic past.

Galea loves the knife since it allows him to convey the beauty and his impressions of Maltese landscapes and vistas in a tangible 3D manner.

His first personal exhibition was held at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta Malta in 1980. Since then Francis’ work has been showcased in numerous collective and personal art exhibitions both locally and worldwide, from Japan and Australia to Milan and London.

With a mention in The International Dictionary of Artist who Painted Malta, palette knife virtuoso Francis Galea was an obvious choice to give his interpretation of a bettija’rt.


“Romantic Journey of Art and Wine 1907 – 2019”

by Francis Galea

Malta’s location in the Mediterranean is perfect for winemaking and the word ‘wine’ alone is enough to immediately evoke romantic images of la dolce vita, idyllic places and people having fun everywhere, be it in the city as well as outdoors near the beautiful blue sea.

In his recognizable impasto technique with the palette knife, Francis Galea brings that theme to life and he turns the barrique into an unusual triptych or three rounded panels depicting scenes from the romantic past and present.

The main panel is an impression of one of the many  family-run bars where people of all walks of life meet over a glass of  wine.

Also found in every town and village, of course, and a defining characteristic of traditional houses and their facades are the iconic wooden balconies, which Galea depicts with much gusto.

The artist’s third panel shows a vista centered around a Maltese fishing vessel, painted in a kaleidoscope of bright colours that make the boat typical Maltese.

The bareness of the oak staves held together with the metal hoops is reminiscent of the importance of the barrel in wine production through the ages, from time immemorial until the recent inception of the legal DOK or IGT  framework for quality wine of Malta.

The ten artist finalists for this year’s 2019 Bettija’rt | wine.art.living are Joseph Barbara, Claire Attard Vella, David Xuereb, Caroline Said Lawrence, Carmel Bonello, Zack Ritchie, Francis Galea, Priscilla Gatt, Donald Camilleri and Sara Pace.

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