iella Solo Exhibition

Opening night – 22nd June
6 - 9pm
Open daily 11-7, weekends 9:30-7

A three part solo show by UK-based Maltese illustrator and designer iella (Daniela Attard) focusing on leaving home, long-distance relationships, life in constant transit and the phases in-between.
Taking place in Malta, London and Sydney this exhibition will travel to key places which inspired and pivoted the work produced. Works will differ slightly between the three shows although some core pieces will be present in all parts.


‘Over the past few years I have struggled with the concept of home and belonging to one place. This is a common problem that comes with emigrating from your home country to develop and find one’s place in the world.
My home country of Malta is a small and isolated island in the Mediterranean which is still tarnished by conservative views and rampant corruption which permeates the land and ethos of the country. Like many young people I left Malta in 2012 with the original intention to further my studies. I began to experience moments of homesickness which I dealt with by drawing and making more work. I could never fully fit into British culture, even to this day, but I have learned to use my differences as strength.

I have formed many types of relationships along the way, especially one with a former partner, which lead me to travel extensively to the other side in the world – Australia, a country with the largest Maltese diaspora.
Overall this is a visual story about grief and resilience. I have translated these personal experiences into complex drawings that reflect key lessons and experiences from the past few years, exploring complex themes of homesickness, nostalgia and trying to find one’s place in the world.’


This project is supported by the Arts Council Malta.