The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) has announced new members from Malta’s art world to the Visual Arts Subcommittee. 

Elyse Tonna will lead as Chair, joined by newly appointed Co-chair Ryan Falzon. The committee is further strengthened by the addition of Anna Calleja, Christine Xuereb, Andrew Borg Wirth, Raffaella Zammit, and Gabriel Zammit. 

These professionals within Malta’s art world bring their expertise to MEIA, with the goal to further  the professionalisation and sustainability within the sector. 

This committee will foster collaboration, while advocating for sustainable practices, and addressing key challenges faced by visual artists, galleries, and other stakeholders in the local visual arts ecosystem. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, the committee aims to enhance the visibility and recognition of visual arts in Malta, contributing to the sector's growth and development. 

By identifying and tackling key issues, the committee aspires to remove barriers and provide meaningful support to those shaping Malta's visual arts landscape. It will work to create and expand opportunities for both emerging and established visual artists and professionals, ensuring their work is duly recognised. 

A holistic approach to the arts sector

In the coming months, the committee will focus on developing a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing the overall situation of the visual arts sector in Malta. This strategy will focus on professionalisation of the sector, promoting sustainability, fostering a supportive environment for practitioners, and increasing public engagement with visual arts. By leveraging partnerships, resources, and expertise, MEIA seeks to elevate the visual arts sector, ensuring it remains vibrant, inclusive, and integral to Malta's cultural identity. 

Here is a breakdown of the Visual Arts committee. 

ELYSE TONNA - CHAIR OF MEIA VISUAL ARTS SUBCOMMITTEE 

Elyse Tonna is an independent curator and architect whose interdisciplinary and process-driven practice spans museums, galleries, public spaces and community-driven initiatives. She explores themes of ecological practices, speculative futures, collective memory and threatened landscapes, fostering dialogue between art, space and society. 

She is the Chair of the Visual Arts Subcommittee within MEIA, advocating for a more transparent, professionalised and internationally connected arts sector. She is also the Artistic Director of the Region of Culture 2025 - Gozo, Curator and Co-Creative Director at the Gabriel Caruana Foundation, and Curator at Unfinished Art Space. In 2024, she co-curated I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP, Malta’s project for the Venice Biennale. 

Elyse has curated and developed over 35 exhibitions, including fuse, shortlisted for the ACM Best Project in the Community Award and recognised by the New European Bauhaus Awards, and SURA, winner of the ARTZID Best Exhibition Award. She has collaborated with Arts Council Malta, Valletta Cultural Agency, Spazju Kreattiv, Heritage Malta, Malta Society of Arts and others. A strong advocate for mentorship, she actively supports emerging artists by fostering opportunities for professional growth, international exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration. She is dedicated to strengthening accessibility and sustainability within the arts sector. 

She is a Salzburg Global Fellow (2017) and Cultural Relations Platform alumna (2021) and a member of the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art. 

“The visual arts sector is built on resilience, adaptability and a continuous drive towards growth. As Chair of the Visual Arts Subcommittee, I am committed to strengthening the professionalisation of the sector - not only to better support practicing artists and creative practitioners but also to encourage the emerging. Maximising resources, fostering transparency and creating more opportunities for exchange are key to building a stronger, more dynamic creative ecosystem," she said.

"By establishing a fairer and more collaborative framework, we can cultivate a sector that values discussion, shared knowledge and community-building. Through bridging existing and new local and international networks, advocating for better support structures and encouraging sustainable practices, we can empower practitioners to expand their practice, navigate challenges and contribute meaningfully. A thriving visual arts sector is one that is inclusive, forward-looking and united in its ambition to create, innovate and inspire." 

RYAN FALZON - CO-CHAIR OF MEIA VISUAL ARTS SUBCOMMITTEE 

Ryan Falzon, born in Malta in 1988, is a visual artist, published author and art educator. His work is often abrasive and playful, and he is known for constructing narratives by arranging disparate images in a collage-like fashion, allowing the viewer to visually wander. Ryan has participated in a substantial number of solo and group exhibitions in Malta and Europe since 2009, and his body of work from 2016 to 2019 has become a point of reference in contemporary Maltese political and socially engaged art. Since 2020, Ryan has focused on painting plants and gardens in domestic settings, exploring the nation of biophilia and post-pandemic conditioning. 

In 2023, Ryan achieved a Master of Arts in Fine Arts with distinction from the University of Malta. Absolut Vodka selected Falzon as an artist for the global "Transform Today" project in May of 2014. Between 2013 to 2015, Ryan co-managed the Xarolla Windmill Project, a young artists' collective that supported emerging artists through multidisciplinary works. 

Since 2011, Ryan has published several short pieces in various publications. SAJF, the first novel by Falzon, was published in 2022. Several reviews have referred to SAJF as the voice of the Maltese millennial generation. SAJF was shortlisted for NBC 2023 National Book Prize. In 2024, Ryan has been selected as a participant in the literary residencies European programme Ulysses’s Shelter. In the same year, Falzon was awarded the National Prize for the Best Emergent Author. 

"The local visual arts sector is undergoing a dynamic and promising transformation, marked by a significant improvement in artistic output in recent years. Through MEIA, the aim is to further professionalise the industry and foster sustainable growth. This calls for an open dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure a collaborative and inclusive approach to the sector’s development at both national and international levels," he explained.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: ANNA CALLEJA

Anna Calleja (b.1997) is a Maltese artist. Calleja’s work draws from her personal experience a vision of a world suspended between uncertainty, longing and the distance of memory. Her interest lies in dualities; the tension and dissonance between comfort and melancholy, isolation and connection, love and grief. Anna’s painting technique is reflective of this in its reliance on a tentative balance between order and disorder in the paint surface. 

The images begin from her personal archive; both real and constructed, cataloguing places held as home for a moment. Within her paintings, she connects to the current of art history via a dialog with what came before; she transforms recurring archetypes, catholic and patriarchal motifs within the language of figurative painting and employs them in an analysis of the present. 

Anna studied Fine Art at Falmouth University and has since exhibited internationally in London, Paris, Berlin, New York City, Dallas and Brescia. In 2022, she was awarded the Premju Ghal-Arti for Best Young Artist by Arts Council Malta and in 2024, she was selected by Katy Hessel to be part of the Great Women Artists' Residency at Palazzo Monti in Brescia Italy. 

CHRISTINE XUEREB 

Christine Xuereb is a passionate and dedicated gallerist for Christine X Art Gallery since 2004. Possessing an educational background in art history and anthropology, Christine brings a deep understanding of the cultural and historical context of the artworks she presents. Her master’s degree in Innovation and Creativity helped shape the gallery’s direction, which over the decades has become a cornerstone of the local art scene, showcasing a collection of fine artworks from both local and international artists. Working closely with a diverse group of talented artists, Christine X Art Gallery takes great pride in its commitment to quality, personalized attention, and fostering meaningful connections between collectors and artists. This dedication has helped establish the gallery as a respected name in the Maltese art world. In recent years Christine has also ventured into African art, adding prominent sub-Saharan African artists to the gallery’s portfolio, whilst also project managing successful commissioned contemporary African art shows locally.     

ANDREW BORG WIRTH 

Andrew Borg Wirth (b.1993) is an independent curator and architect. Through his practice, he interrogates disciplines of architecture, contemporary art, theatre and design. 

Andrew graduated with an M (Arch.) Architectural Design from the University of Malta in 2017, and in 2021 concluded an MA in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. His research interests lie at the intersection between cultural and architectural discourse, dealing with nostalgia, public space, memory, monuments and trauma. Andrew is a Visiting Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty for the Built Environment at the University of Malta and has presented research at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL). 

Andrew received the 2022 Best Curatorial Practice Award from ARTZ ID (Malta) and the 2018 Galizia Award for Best Student Dissertation by Kamra tal-Periti (Maltese Chamber of Architects). ‘Decadence, Now.’ by City of Art received the award for Multidisciplinary Production of the Year at the 2023 Premju Għall-Arti. He is the curator of URNA, the Malta Pavilion at the London Design Biennale in 2025, commissioned by Arts Council Malta. 

RAFFAELLA ZAMMIT 

Raffaella Zammit (b. 1983, Malta) cannot put a label on herself - yet. Her work, curiosity and creativity tend to converge in a path which she sometimes explores alone or with others, but mostly walking with...You'll find her walking around towns or old Punic pathways, or co-running The Mill, Art, Culture and Crafts Centre. However presently you're more likely to catch her deep in research papers, walking with her son and trying to keep everything in stride. 

Her practice weaves environmental issues and community participation. Using ceramics, walking, and photography, she fosters conversations and deep connections, blending social practice art with socio-environmental contexts. Her research explores im/mobility, islands, motherhood, and public space. 

Raffaella holds a B.A. (Hons) in Geography (Melit), an M.Sc. in Countryside Conservation and Management (UWE), and an M.A. in Social Practice Art and Critical Education (Melit). Currently she is pursuing doctoral studies in Sustainable Mobility at the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Malta, focusing on participatory practices, active mobility, and urban nature. She also attended ceramic courses and worked in various studios since 2014, but most of her knowledge and love for clay stem from her father, the late artist Gabriel Caruana (1929–2018). 

After a decade working in land use planning and environmental protection, she co-founded the Gabriel Caruana Foundation in 2016. As Executive Director and Co-Creative Director, she leads its artistic programming and community-driven projects. She has co-developed and managed numerous initiatives, securing funding for projects like Kreaturi, Nimxu Mixja, ħożż il-ħsejjes, Fresh Fabrika, Il-Ktieb Tal-Istaġuni, and Fabrika. In 2020, she and her Nimxu Mixja collaborators won the Premju Għall-Arti for Best Project in the Community Category. She is also a Board Member of Friends of the Earth Malta. 

GABRIEL ZAMMIT 

Gabriel Zammit (b. 1994) is an independent curator and writer with a background in philosophy and art theory. His creative practice is embedded in critical theory and inspired by thinkers such as Walter Benjamin, Theodor Adorno and WG Sebald. 

Gabriel has worked with artists and writers from all around the world, building exhibitions that look into themes such as outsider art, mythology, and liminal states. Across his various projects there is a consistent interest in the intersection between craft and concept as well as a fascination with fringe experiences that uncover and challenge the foundations of our humanity. 

Since 2022 Gabriel has also held the position of Programmes and Initiatives Officer at the Malta Society of Arts where he is tasked with creating an innovative programme of exhibitions, publications, music and performing arts that respects the institution’s long history whilst still engaging with contemporary issues. 

Gabriel is a part time lecturer with the Department of Education and the Department of Digital Arts at the University of Malta where he teaches criticism and art theory. He publishes regularly, contributing speculative, critical and academic texts to books, newspapers, journals and other platforms.