Raphael Vella is an artist, writer and curator based in Malta. He obtained a PhD in Fine Arts at the University of the Arts London in 2006, and is currently Art Co-ordinator within the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, where he teaches Art Methodology, Theory and Practice.
He studied Art Education at the University of Malta (1987-1991) and also obtained a Master’s degree, specialising in aesthetic education (1997). He has published numerous articles and catalogue essays about contemporary art, an artist’s book called (2003), a book about his drawings in 2008 (Reading Cabinets) and was editor of On Art and Art Education in Malta in 2007.
Vella has curated several exhibitions with work by Maltese and international artists, as well as exhibitions of children’s art. His work as an artist has been exhibited internationally, and he has also presented a number of papers in international conferences and peer-reviewed journals.
Raphael Vella’s work as an artist focuses on philosophical issues related to textuality, religion, fundamentalism and the sublime. Often working with the book as a medium and thematic area or objects with social or cultic meanings, he presents installations, drawings, sculptures and mixed-media works that make international audiences aware of mental closures that affect our lives. His work is ultimately about the violence of the written word.
Website
http://www.raphaelvella.com
