Nathanaëlle Herbelin. Photo: Milena Villa
The A New Life Force exhibition at Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) brings together the work of three distinct, contemporary female painters: Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Kemi Onabulé, and Megan Rooney. Each artist created work in response to their individual experiences in Malta, drawing on the island’s culture, history, and geography.
The exhibition spans three floors, with each artist’s work displayed on a separate level. In the lower ground gallery, Paris-based French-Israeli artist Herbelin’s display includes atmospheric paintings of people in everyday settings, from dinner tables to bedrooms. Her work explores intimacy, memory, and emotion, influenced by artists such as the Les Nabis, Ferdinand Hodler, and Martin Wong. Spirituality is another recurring theme, captured in her striking paintings of ex-voto offerings—objects left in churches as acts of devotion or gratitude for a prayer answered—found in historic buildings across Malta.
The central gallery is dedicated to London-based Onabulé, whose work reflects her Greek, English and Nigerian heritage. During her visits to Malta, she was inspired by the island’s vibrant atmosphere and the visible traces of its turbulent past. These experiences, along with the island’s landscapes, plants and vivid colors, helped shape a new body of work for the exhibition, including some of the largest canvases she’s ever created. Onabulé’s dreamlike scenes explore our relationship with the natural world, collective memory, and the past.
London-based Canadian artist Rooney completes the trio. Working across painting, installation and performance, she’s known for her bold use of color and energetic, expressive style. She builds her paintings in layers, adding brushstrokes and color, then sanding back to reveal the layers beneath.
During her time in Malta, Rooney became inspired by the light in the MICAS galleries and the island’s ancient landscapes. She created a new series of paintings specifically for the museum, taking into account its upper galleries, floating walls, and vast glass ceiling, which lets light shift throughout the day. The works explore themes of memory, mythology, and the ancient world, using layers of vivid color and hints of the natural environment to create atmospheric scenes.
“All three artists demonstrate a determined focus on their singular modes of expression while maintaining a deep connection to, and engagement with, the history of art,” says Curator Edith Devaney, Artistic Director of MICAS. “They each share a distinct commitment to painting and to exploring the possibilities of the medium. Individually, each possesses enormous creative energy—and we look forward to seeing this unfold across the walls of MICAS.”
Visit A New Life Force at Malta International Contemporary Art Space now until January 31, 2027.
The A New Life Force exhibition at Malta International Contemporary Art Space brings together the work of three contemporary female painters.
Nathanaëlle Herbelin. Photo: Milena Villa
French-Israeli artist Nathanaëlle Herbelin’s work explores themes of intimacy, memory and emotion.
Nathanaëlle Herbelin, “Jérémie et Emmanuelle,” 2026. Oil on wood, 140 × 160 cm. Artist’s Studio. Image credit: Objets Pointus
Nathanaëlle Herbelin, “Dessert,” 2026. Oil on canvas, 195 × 130 cm. Artist’s Studio. Image credit: Objets Pointus
Nathanaëlle Herbelin, “Fuite rose,” 2026. Oil on wood, 160 × 180 cm. Artist’s Studio. Image credit: Objets Pointus
Nathanaëlle Herbelin, “Manifestation pour une deuxième grossesse,” 2025-26. Oil on wood, 200 × 123 cm. Green Family Art Foundation, courtesy Adam Green Art Advisory. Image credit: Objets Pointus
Nathanaëlle Herbelin, “Ex Voto Marin pour ne pas couler,” Version 2, 2026. Oil on wood, 19 × 22.5 cm. Artist’s Studio. Image credit: Objets Pointus
London-based painter Kemi Onabulé creates work that reflects her Greek, English and Nigerian heritage.
Kemi Onabulé. Photo: Bridie O’Sullivan
Kemi Onabulé. Photo credit: Max Bainbridge
Kemi Onabulé, “View of Floriana,” 2026, oil on panel with Sapele frame, 152 × 227 × 5 cm (59⅞ × 89⅜ × 2 in)
Kemi Onabulé, “Sacred Grove,” 2025, oil on panel with Sapele frame, 122 × 302 × 5 cm (48 × 118⅞ × 2 in) diptych
Kemi Onabulé, “A Reason For Reflection,” 2025, oil on panel with Sapele frame, 152 × 122 × 5 cm (59⅞ × 48 × 2 in)
Kemi Onabulé, “Sunbather (Dingli Cliffs),” 2026, oil on canvas with Sapele frame, 152 × 202 × 5 cm (59⅞ × 79½ × 2 in)
Kemi Onabulé, “Pink Moon,” 2026, oil on panel with Sapele frame, 62 × 82 × 5 cm (24⅜ × 32¼ × 2 in)
London-based Canadian artist Megan Rooney is known for her bold use of color and energetic, expressive style.
Megan Rooney, 2024. Photo: Eva Herzog
All three artists created work in response to their individual experiences in Malta, drawing on the island’s culture, history and geography.
Megan Rooney, 2024. Photo: Eva Herzog
Megan Rooney, “The Ecstatic Dark,” 2026. Acrylic, oil, pastel and oil stick on canvas. 250 x 300 cm. Photo: Eva Herzog, Courtesy of the artist and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan and Seoul
Megan Rooney, “All the lives,” 2026. Acrylic, oil, pastel and oil stick on canvas. 250 x 300 cm. Photo: Eva Herzog, Courtesy of the artist and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan and Seoul
Megan Rooney, “The Swinging Heart,” 2026. Acrylic, oil, pastel and oil stick on canvas. 250 x 300 cm. Photo: Eva Herzog, Courtesy of the artist and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan and Seoul
Megan Rooney, “Coming and going,” 2026. Acrylic, oil, pastel and oil stick on canvas. 250 x 300 cm. Photo: Eva Herzog, Courtesy of the artist and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan and Seoul
Megan Rooney, “Night Letters,” 2026. Acrylic, oil, pastel and oil stick on canvas. 250 x 300 cm. Photo: Eva Herzog, Courtesy of the artist and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, London, Paris, Salzburg, Milan and Seoul
