Gallery23 Malta

Gallery 23 is an art gallery in Balzan, a quiet residential town in the middle of Malta, where a new exhibition arrives every few weeks and a visit feels more like calling on a private collection than walking round a museum. The gallery shows paintings and sculpture, and its stated aim is to bring thought-provoking fine art to people who love it and want more of it.

On VisitMalta.co.uk it appears in our directory of art galleries in Malta. Balzan lies a short drive from Valletta and Mdina, so the gallery fits neatly into a day of sightseeing, and the rest of this page explains what is on, how the programme works and how to arrange a visit.

An alternative exhibition experience

Gallery 23 presents itself as an alternative to the large institutional venues. It serves as a platform where emerging and established artists can show a body of work, and the emphasis is on quality, a sense of discovery and a personal welcome. Exhibitions are listed on the website year by year, with the earliest on the site dating from March 2019 and shows continuing through 2026.

Most exhibitions run for around two weeks and are supported by open days, often on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, when visitors can drop in and meet the artist. Outside those hours the gallery welcomes visitors by appointment. That relaxed rhythm makes it easy to fit a visit around a holiday, and our Malta weather guide helps you choose the season that suits you.

Open days are often built around the artist's presence. Earlier shows were advertised with meet-the-artist sessions on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, and the gallery has also arranged longer runs of open days during busy periods, including weekday mornings. This is a good way to ask questions about technique, subject and price directly, rather than reading a label on a wall.

The Collectively Solo series

One of the gallery's signature ideas is Collectively Solo, a group exhibition in which each artist is given room to present work as though in a solo show. The idea began in 2020, when artists who had been planned for solo exhibitions that year were brought together in a single collective show during November and December.

The series has grown steadily. Collectively Solo II ran from November to December 2021, the third edition in December 2023 brought together 20 artists, the fourth in spring 2025 featured nine, many of them showing at the gallery for the first time, and the fifth in December 2025 involved fourteen artists. For a visitor, these are the best chance to see a wide range of styles and media in one visit and to find a new favourite.

Land, sea and special projects

Gallery 23 has a record of commissioning artists to respond to places. In 2019, A Morning at Villa Frere sent painters out to work on location, and in 2023 twelve established artists returned to Villa Frere to capture the evening light and also painted at the historic Fort Manoel and the Manoel Island Yacht Yard. The resulting collective went on show in November 2023.

The Land and Sea exhibitions follow a similar theme. The 2024 edition paired Christopher Saliba, Marisa Attard and Henry Falzon, and a 2025 edition brought together three artists, each looking at the changing moods of local landscapes. Anyone drawn to Maltese scenery as subject matter will find plenty of inspiration in our guides to the best beaches in Malta and the walled city of Mdina. The gallery also hosts charity projects, such as The Colour Purple in April and May 2023, a collective held in aid of Puttinu Cares and in memory of Jackie Magri.

Solo shows and the artists

Alongside the collectives, Gallery 23 gives individual artists their own exhibition. Recent and forthcoming solo shows include James Vella Clark's Painting from the Heart in February 2025, Catherine Cavallo's Eve Refracted in November 2025, Henry Falzon's solo show from 19 April to 1 May 2026 and Glendine Chisholm's from 24 May to 5 June 2026. Earlier years brought Kevin Sciberras with Urban Perspectives, Nickie Sultana with Layers, Andrew Smith with Scenic Route, Marisa Attard with Off-Kilter and Tonio Mallia with Early Light.

The gallery also keeps a growing list of artists whose work is available, including Tonio Mallia, Catherine Cavallo, Sarah Calleja, Elena Degenhardt, Jeni Caruana, Marisa Attard, Caroline Said Lawrence, Henry Falzon, Debbie Bonello, Kevin Sciberras, Nickie Sultana, Andrew Smith, Ryan Falzon, Alfie Gatt, Johanna Barthet and Andrew Borg. A summer art collection is also offered, and collectors can ask for details of any piece, for example Alfie Gatt's watercolour Void, which measures 48 by 30 cm.

Painters, styles and past shows

The artists who show at Gallery 23 work in very different ways. Sarah Calleja paints on location, and her land and seascapes of the islands are made in situ as a tribute to the changing seasons and the temper of the elements. Debbie Bonello favours oils on canvas, with loose and spontaneous brushwork and themes that range from wide landscapes and seascapes to nude studies and object drawings. James Vella Clark is known for bold abstracted interpretations of the Maltese urban and rural landscape, and Catherine Cavallo works in a vigorous expressionist style.

Earlier exhibitions add further variety. Alexia Coppini showed seascapes and ethereal skies in To the Lighthouse in 2019, Henry Falzon presented The Bicycle Ride that November, Jeni Caruana's Skin in 2022 grew from years of drawing models, and Roberta Zammit Cutajar's My Walks with Hugo was inspired by walks with her rescue dog. Antoine Paul Camilleri, who works in drawing, painting, etching, ceramics and sculpture, showed in October 2023. This breadth means that even a repeat visitor is likely to find something new.

Christopher Saliba: the next solo exhibition

The next headline show announced is a solo exhibition by Christopher Saliba from 15 to 25 November 2026, a new collection of large-scale landscapes. Saliba has 25 years of artistic practice across painting, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, etching and photography, and his career includes exhibitions at the National Museum of Fine Arts and St James Cavalier and a show at the European Parliament in Brussels. His work is part of Malta's National Art Collection and the collection of Malta International Airport.

He is especially known for his red paintings and for landscapes of Malta and Gozo that appear still and empty of people, using Mediterranean light, wide horizons and strong contrasts. His three-metre public sculpture Encounter has been installed permanently in Gozo through the Public Art Scheme, as Victoria prepares to be European Capital of Culture in 2031; read more about the sister island in our Gozo guide. The exhibitions Red is the Colour, Skylines and The Silence of Light reflect this ongoing exploration of colour, light and place.

Visiting Gallery 23 in Balzan

The gallery is a good fit for travellers who like to see where an artist lives and works rather than only the big-name sights. Many of the painters are Maltese and paint the places you will be visiting, from harbours and fortifications to open countryside and the coast. A framed original or a watercolour is a more personal souvenir than a print from a shop, and you can ask the gallery about any piece on offer.

The gallery is at 23 Triq Idmejda in Balzan. Visits are by appointment, and you can book a slot between 9am and 1pm or between 4pm and 8pm. During a show, open days are normally held on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, and the gallery sometimes holds extra events, such as an evening of art, food and wine.

While you are in the area, you might also look at the nearby Agenda Bookshop or plan a longer trip using our guide to things to do in Malta and our Valletta guide. If you are travelling from Britain, check flights to Malta for routes. To ask about a show, an artwork or a visit, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the gallery.