Emvin Cremona was a Maltese artist whose numerous achievements in the artistic scene placed him at the forefront of the development of Modern Art in Malta during the twentieth century. Cremona was artistically inclined from a young age, both in painting and in music. However, no one from his family was art-oriented, and his parents, especially his father, were against his inclination towards becoming a full-time artist. Nevertheless, his artistic practice began with his enrolment at the Malta Government School of Art in 1935; a year which will later be renowned for the high calibre of artistic talent which emerged, for his classmates at the time included Willie Apap, Anton Inglott, Esprit Barthet and Victor Diacono, amongst others. Cremona furthered his studies overseas, where he studied at the Regia Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, at the Slade School of University College in London and at the Ècole Superieur des Beaux Arts in Paris. He returned to Malta at the onset of World War II, for which he served with the Royal Engineers. During this time, in 1942, he also restored the murals depicting military themes extant at the Main Guard in Valletta, and in 1948 he married Lilian Gatt. In addition to his excellence at artistic practice, in 1949 he appointed the role of master of painting at the Malta Government School of Art, which he sustained for ten years.
During the 60s and 70s, Cremona was fully immersed into the local artistic scene, and spearheaded it with his artistic vivre. He was a master of design and a lucid draughtsman with strong compositional powers derivative from his understanding of Byzantine art that turned him into an extraordinary and highly successful interior decorator, and a virtuoso mural painter specialised in Sacred Art. Cremona was equally at ease in producing figurative and abstract works. Later on, he began to experiment with different media and unconventional materials such as broken class. Later on, he also veered into postal stamp designs, whose originality and innovation had set new international standards. Most notably, he is known to have designed stamps including the 1964 Independence issue. He continued working in his later years, and in 1970 designed the Malta Pavilion for Expo in Osaka, Japan.
Cremona’s versatility as an artist was undeniable. Whatever his chosen media or expressive idiom his art remained constant in its directness and power of synthesis conveyed through a harmony of pigments, textures and forms that enchant and surprise the beholder. Cremona’s artistic legacy was commemorated throughout his lifetime, when he became a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Sylvester in 1961, and in 1963 he was awarded the gold medal by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and another medal by the Confederation of Malta Civic Councils.
Whatever his chosen media or expressive idiom, his art remained constant in its directness and power of synthesis conveyed through a harmony of pigments, textures and forms that equally enchant and surprise the beholder. In order to commemorate his legacy, in 2019, numerous commemorations were held to celebrate 100-years from his birth. His repertoire is extensive and can be seen in both public places such as churches and parishes, as well as in numerous private collections.
