Bel Art Gallery

Bel Art Gallery is the showcase for the work of Bel, an artist who lives and works in Malta and loves dynamic materials and bold colour. The gallery is listed on Tower Road in Sliema, the busy seafront town where many UK visitors base themselves, and its catalogue is the best place to see what is currently available.

If you are looking for something made on the island rather than a mass-produced souvenir, this is a good place to start. Our art galleries in Malta directory lists other spaces to compare, and this page explains how to enquire about Bel's work.

The artist behind the gallery

Bel came to art by an unusual route. She studied finance and marketing for her bachelor degree, then moved into graphic design at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, and she has worked on a number of design projects in recent years. Although she enjoys graphic art, her real passion lies in what she makes away from the screen.

Her goal is to turn a blank canvas into an emotional journey, expressing creativity, freedom and beauty through colour. She keeps experimenting with new colours, materials, shapes and sizes, and her output has grown from paintings into a wider range of items.

That mix of design discipline and hands-on experiment shows in the work: compositions are carefully balanced, colours are chosen with a designer's eye, and the surfaces keep the unpredictable movement that only comes from working directly with fluid materials. For buyers, it means each piece is one of a kind rather than a print.

Resin art and handcrafted items

Resin is the medium most closely linked with the gallery. It is a gloss-like substance that gives a beautiful, water-like texture, and Bel began experimenting with it around the time of her first exhibition in June 2016 at the Civil Service Sports Club in Valletta. Since then she has exhibited in various spaces around the islands.

The online catalogue titles each piece, with names such as Aurora, Water, Yellow Flora, Blue Trio, Bianca, Deep Blue, Interstellar, Noir and Aura. Prices are printed beside each one, for example €245.00 for Blue Trio, €345.00 for Water 1 and Water 2, €545.00 for Aurora and €695.00 for Noir. Several earlier pieces are marked as unavailable, which tells you the work sells and that new pieces appear over time.

Many pieces take their cue from the sea, which suits Malta. If you like the idea of a piece that recalls a deep blue harbour, the blue and turquoise works in the catalogue are the place to look.

Buying and enquiring

The site has a gallery section, a look book and a page to meet the artist. When something catches your eye, the simplest step is to ask. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and your message goes to the gallery, which can answer questions about availability, size and how a piece would travel home with you.

Because the pieces are original, it is worth asking about postage or carrying options before you buy if you are flying back to the UK. Our flights to Malta page gives an idea of the airlines and baggage you will be dealing with.

Around Sliema

Tower Road runs along the Sliema seafront, so a visit fits easily into a walk along the promenade. Nearby you will find 2B Gallery, 7R Diving Malta and Adventure Cruises Malta. If you need somewhere to stay, our guide to hotels in Sliema covers the area, and things to do in Malta has ideas for the rest of the day.

Art lovers should also see our Valletta guide, where Bel held her first exhibition, and plan the rest of the trip with the Malta holidays overview. Send your enquiry through the form on this page and we will pass it on.