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Ink And Kitchen Knives: Maltese Cartoonist’s Portraits Of Famous Chefs Is A New Experience Of Art

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This new new decade has truly opened the digital flood gates of how we experience life, and a prominent Maltese cartoonist has seized the opportunity to launch a thought-provoking virtual art exhibition.

Seb Tanti Burlo’s latest body of work CHEF! was born of the celebrated cooks discussed by his friends while preparing food. It’s also a look at the new ways we experience art in the digital realm accelerated by COVID-19.

Many will recognise Burlo’s distinct style from his provocative political cartoons. Composed of nine portraits, his fast ink strokes capture the essence of each famous chef in action – the eccentric Julia Child hacking away with a knife, the cheeky grin and exaggerated, coque-ordained chef hat of Paul Bocuse, the trash-culture American dream Guy Fieri making the symbol of Satan. 

All accompanied by a line of wisdom uttered by the chefs, dead and alive, all framed by his statement borders and BURLO signature.

What really stands out is what lies between the works. Between every few portraits, there’s a reminder of what exhibitions were like before masks and hand sanitiser became an integral part of life – a jab at pretentious small art talk, and of course art cheese, art wine and art ham.

It’s a quintessential memory everyone in the art scene will relate to.

“Maa like, can you feel the emotion in the lines, like?”, one on-looker says to another in front of the work.

And though we’re eager to get back to the physical experience of art-seeing to show our Insta followers just how interesting and cultured we are, this exhibition is a comforting reminder of what was, and what will return someday.

Feel cultured and nostalgic for art by checking out Seb Tanti Burlo’s exhibition CHEF online here.

Tag someone who misses exhibitions 

READ NEXT: Conor McGregor Uploads Maltese Artists’ Whiskey Rendition To His 36 Million-Strong Instagram Page

Sam is a journalist, artist and writer based in Malta. Send her pictures of hands or need-to-know stories on politics or art on [email protected].

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