Artist in Residence: Photography and Jazz with Therese Debono

Artist in Residence - Therese Debono - The Phoenicia Malta

For the month of July we had the pleasure of welcoming locally renowned photographer, Therese Debono, as our artist in residence.

With her father’s love for Jazz, it was inevitable that the young Therese would develop an interest in the genre. Combine this with Therese’s obsession with photographing everything as a young girl, and it isn’t a surprise that today, Therese is interested in mixing her two passions in a fresh and exciting way.

“In 1993 my father took me to my first Jazz Festival, while my friends were all listening to rock music, and I was hooked. Jazz was and will always be one of my favourite genres” comments Therese on her upbringing.

In 2010, Therese decided to take her passion for photography seriously and transform this into a full time career. She brazenly asked Arts Council Malta for the opportunity to shoot at the Malta Jazz Festival which they agreed to, helping Therese launch her career as a professional photographer.

“When shooting Jazz, I aim to capture the feel and expressions of the musicians as they play. I want the passion the artists express through their music to be visible in the images I take”.

From there, Therese has never looked back and now has her own studio and teaches the next generation of photographers. Upon speaking to Therese, it is evident that she is proud to have turned her passion into her full time career.

“I like to describe myself as a documentary photographer. I love to capture the mundane things as to me they are extraordinary” Therese reflects when asked how to describe her photography style.

“I love to photograph traditional Maltese interiors found in local places. I also have another project called Brides on Beds, where I capture a bride-to-be in full makeup on her parents bed as she is getting ready for the big day, documenting the transition from an unmarried woman to a married woman. I feel that these ideas are what set me apart from other photographers”.

Therese has many new projects in the pipeline including a potential book to be issued next year, forming part of the exhibiting artists at MUZA – The National Community of Arts Museum – between September and November this year, and hosting another collaborative exhibition before the year is out.

“I love photography so I’m always inventing new ideas and projects to keep things fresh and exciting. I want to inspire my students too by being as active within the industry as possible rather than just teaching.”

The Phoenicia Malta’s Artist in Residence initiative was created to help promote artistic talent in Malta. We are proud to have hosted some of the most talented artists Malta has to offer.

Photography by Therese Debono

Welcoming Josephine Camilleri to the Team

Josephine Camilleri - Executive Housekeeper - The Phoenicia Malta

As part of our commitment to providing our guests with the very best service, The Phoenicia Malta would like to welcome Josephine Camilleri as our new Executive Housekeeper. Josephine joins us with a wealth of experience after a 15-year career of working within the Housekeeping Department of International Hotel brands.

Commenting on her appointment, Josephine said “I love The Phoenicia Malta! With its iconic history, it is a very prestigious and respected place to work. The team feels like a tight-knit family which I am proud to be a part of”.

Josephine and her 25 strong team are responsible for the cleaning of 136 rooms, our restaurants, our pool area, our spa, our meeting and event spaces and all public areas in the hotel.

Commenting on her style of management, Josephine said “When you’re in a managerial position, you need to work the job yourself to really understand what is required from the team. It’s a hard job but an important job. I like to get stuck in as a leader, guiding the team rather than a boss delegating to my team”.

Reflecting on this new appointment, Hotel Manager Silvan Camilleri said, “We are thrilled to welcome Josephine to The Phoenicia Malta team and see her taking the lead of one of the most important departments within the Hotel. Her years of experience, knowledge, skills and attention to detail will surely reflect positively on our goal of continuously achieve the best guests’ overall experience”.

The Phoenicia Malta, one of Malta’s most historic and well-known hotels, is proud to offer its clients an unparalleled customer experience. Over the coming weeks, we shall be announcing new appointments and expanding our team to ensure that our five-star service continues to grow.

Artist in Residence: Getting to know Luke Azzopardi

Luke Azzopardi - Artist in Residence - The Phoenicia Malta

As part of our ongoing initiative to promote local artists, we recently had the pleasure of speaking to Maltese fashion designer, Luke Azzopardi, our artist in residence throughout June at The Phoenicia Malta.

Luke’s destiny seems to have been set from the start. As a classical music enthusiast, his father exposed Luke to the arts at a young age. His seamstress mother exposed Luke to the fashion world, teaching him how to fix and make garments. It is no wonder that Luke grew to become the successful fashion designer he is today.

By the age of 16, the fresh-faced fashion designer had already got his first paying client, and since then he has never looked back. He later moved to London to further his studies, specialising in Costume Research. In 2013 Luke attended the Central Saint Martins, later returning back to Malta to concentrate on his passion for designing and creating breathtaking garments and costumes.

“Everything I do is very theatrical with an impending sense of drama,” Luke said. “My garment designs are not mass produced. I spend a lot of time researching and planning what I design. It’s kind of like a performance in itself”.

Luke is proud to design garments which transcend fads and fashions. Luke see’s every piece that he produces as  a unique piece of clothing beyond trends, that will retain its value like a prized work of art. The designer’s powerful visuals coupled with academic research, help his designs to stand out from the crowd as one of Malta’s leading fashion designers.

“I don’t believe in inspiration” Luke commented further, “I know it sounds funny as most artists claim to receive a bright idea while showering or something, but for me that is not the case. Research and planning is the foundation of every garment I produce”.

Luke has won several awards for his work. He was awarded the prestigious ‘Premio Cultura e Moda 2016’ by L’Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and the ‘Fashion Designer of the Year 2018’ award by LovinMalta to name but a few.

Commenting on his hopes for the future, Luke said: “I am currently at a crossroads. Do I grow my business or shall I keep it small and exclusive? I have yet to decide”. One thing’s for sure, we have a lot more to hear from this talented young fashion designer, so watch his space.