Architect and artist Daphne Bugeja, founder of Inka who turns iconic local landmarks into 2D ink drawings, has launched a series of prints, titled Kahli, that seek to discover “fragments of our unbuilt environment”.
While introducing the new series with a visual of her first drawing, Lapsi Bay, Daphne explains “the idea behind this edition is the exploration of beaches and rural context. We are nowadays facing conflicts between the built and un-built environment. In the past years I always found the representation of such spaces a challenging one.”
Her portfolio of drawings includes detailed renditions of Balluta Buildings, grand churches such as Mosta Dome and Siggiewi’s parish church, the Orpheum, Valletta’s skyline and countless other local as well as overseas built landmarks.
The Kahli range marks a departure from recording the built environment to drawing rugged places in Malta and Gozo that are largely affected by natural wear and tear.
“I have been drawing mostly architecture context in freehand straights lines, which in most cases represent the built. The introduction of non-straight lines define the un-built as a result of spaces that are most of the time changing and representing growth in a natural way,” the artist shared.
“Nature is the one thing that changes with time due to the surroundings elements, being the sea, wind, sun or climate change. Without even knowing, these places are facing change due to our interventions and our change in lifestyle.”
Daphne, who is a senior architect with Archi+ studio, developed her artistic side in tandem with the start of her career. In an interview with Design Dispatch, she shared how her sketches of urban cityscapes during her travels and detailed freehand architectural illustrations of unique spots in Malta led to the birth of Inka in 2018.
The limited-edition Kahli series includes 15 prints of each locality.
Photography: Inka
