Toni Pace was a Maltese sculptor and painter, whose daring nature set him apart from his contemporaries, but has remained largely understudied in the present day. Pace’s early years of artistic training were completed at the Malta Government School of Art, where he practiced under the teachings of Emvin Cremona and Vincent Apap. Following this, he sought to expand his artistic understanding beyond the shores of Malta, and thus travelled to England, where he enrolled at Kensington’s Men Institute and at the Ealing School of Art. Moreover, in 1963 he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Bath Academy of Art. It was during this time, in the 1960s, that Pace delved into metal sculpture; a radical act towards sculpture due to his choice to weld rather than sculpt, which set him apart from his local contemporaries but was unfortunately largely misunderstood by the Maltese public. After his time in England, Pace received an Italian Government Scholarship in 1973, and thus continued his studies in Rome at the Accademia di Belle Arti and the Scuola di San Giacomo, under the expertise of Emilio Greco (1913-1995) and Giuseppe Mazzullo (1913-1988). Upon his return to Malta in 1978, he was appointed art teacher in the Department of Education.
Despite having received artistic training both locally and internationally, Pace is perhaps the lesser published of the pioneers of Maltese modern art. He was a versatile artist who experimented in painting, drawing and terracotta figures. However, he is primarily remembered for his experimental metal sculptures, which conveyed a talent which surpassed the ordinary in his unique handling of steel. Although his daring act towards sculpture was not appreciated by the Maltese, his creativity was recognised by Giovanni (J. J.) Cremona (1918-2020), who supported Pace as a rebel in Maltese society. Cremona was the first to exhibited Pace’s works in 1980. His metal sculptures were then exhibited once again in a spotlight exhibition on Toni Pace as part of The APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale in 2020.
This biography is adapted from Ganado, Albert, Espinoza Rodriguez, Antonio, 2018, An Encyclopaedia of Artists with a Malta Connection, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, pp 423
