About
Matthew Schembri (b. 1993) is a multimedia artist, writer and poet based in Malta. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Arts in 2017. Schembri won Divergent Thinkers 04 (2015), Shifting Contexts (2019), and was named The Young Artist of the Year in 2017 by Arts Council Malta. In addition to Malta, he exhibited his works and was awarded art and literary residencies in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Croatia and Finland.
Schembri’s debut novel, Stessi (2018), won The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth 2016, and with his first poetry collection, Ħassartek (2021), he received the Best Emerging Author award given by the National Book Council Malta in 2022. In the same year, he was one of the winners of the A Sea of Words writing contest organised by IEMed and the Anna Lindh Foundation. His work was translated into English, French and Croatian.
Photo Credit: Raymond Schembri
Awards
2015 Divergent Thinkers 04 Art Competition (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Spazju Kreattiv, VIVA)
2016 The Writing Literary Contest for Young Adults (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, National Book Council (Malta)
2017 Young Artist of the Year (Arts Council Malta)
2019 Shifting Contexts Art Competition (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta 2018)
2020 The Diploma in Maltese Literature Award (Department of Maltese - University of Malta, BNF Bank)
2022 Best Emerging Author (National Book Council (Malta)
Nominations / Finalist
2022 National Book Award for Poetry (National Book Council (Malta)
2022 A Sea of Words Short Story Competition (IEMed, Anna Lindh Foundation)
2023 Multidisciplinary Production of the Year (Arts Council Malta)
Solo Art Exhibitions
2016 Open Studio: Matthew Schembri, Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Virginia, USA
2017 An Event Night Showcasing the Work of Matt(hew) Schembri, Malta School of Art, Valletta, Malta
2018 WiN, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2021; 2022 Ħassartek, Studio Solipsis, Rabat, Malta; St Elmo, Valletta, Malta
Collective Art Exhibitions
2012 Discover University Art Exhibition, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
2015 Frammenti, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2015 Divergent Thinkers 04, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2016 The Creative Game - Saces // HOASA - Archibabbale & Exhibition, Fort Saint Elmo, Valletta, Malta
2016 Of Spacial Concerns - Malta Stock Exchange 25th Anniversary Art Exhibition, Malta Stock Exchange, Valletta, Malta
2017 Intransit, NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf, Germany; Leeuwarden, Netherlands; Feldkirch, Austria
2017 Extant, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2017 Human Matter, Malta Society of Arts (MSA), Valletta, Malta
2017 Literary Art Exhibition, Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta
2017 Notte Bianca Art Exhibition 2017 - Department of Digital Arts, Old University Building, Valletta, Malta
2018 Dal-Baħar Madwarha, Fort Saint Elmo, Valletta, Malta
2018 Here is Peter and Here is Jane, Old University Building, Valletta, Malta
2018 Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2013-2018, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2018 Remembering the Future, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2018 Malta School of Art Notte Bianca Art Exhibition 2018, Malta School of Art, Valletta, Malta
2018-2019 Shifting Contexts, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2019 A Portrait of Sel(ves) – Malta Stock Exchange Art Exhibition, Malta Stock Exchange, Valletta, Malta
2021 SPRING V1.2, The Mill – Art, Culture and Crafts Centre/Gabriel Caruana Foundation, Birkirkara, Malta
2022 In-between, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2022 From Illustration to Book, MFCC, Ta’ Qali, Malta
2023 The Spazju Kreattiv Art Collection – An Open Research, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
2024 Migration Nation, Saint James Cavalier, Centre for the Creative Arts/Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta
Residencies / Retreats
2014; 2015 Taħżiż Writing Retreat, Dingli, Malta
2016 Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Virginia, United States
2017 Malta School of Art, Valletta, Malta
2022 Brazza Art Residency, Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, France
2022 A Sea of Words Retreat, Barcelona, Spain
2023 Ulysses’ Shelter Writing Residency, Mljet, Croatia
2023 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
2024 Villa Sarkia, Sysmä, Finland
2024 Fictive Archives Investigations Residency, Dingli, Malta
Publications
2017 ARTMENTS: Investigating the Artistic Potential of Online Criticism on Contemporary Public Art, Masters dissertation, University of Malta
2018 WiN, art catalogue, self-published
2018 Stessi, novel, Merlin Publishers
2021 Ħassartek, poetry collection, self-published
Collective Publications
2014 Taħżiż2, short story, Għaqda tal-Malti & Aġenzija Żgħażagħ
2014 Leħen il-Malti - Rivista tal-Għaqda tal-Malti Università (Għadd 33), short story, Għaqda tal-Malti
2015 Taħżiż3, short story, Għaqda tal-Malti & Aġenzija Żgħażagħ
2015 Frammenti, art catlogue, University of Malta
2016 Leħen il-Malti - Rivista tal-Għaqda tal-Malti Università (Għadd 35), poem, Għaqda tal-Malti
2017 Extant, art catalogue, University of Malta
2018 Leħen il-Malti - Rivista tal-Għaqda tal-Malti Università (Għadd 37), short story, Għaqda tal-Malti
2020 Leħen il-Malti - Rivista tal-Għaqda tal-Malti Università (Għadd 39), poem, Għaqda tal-Malti
2023 Scintillas: New Maltese Writing 3, short story, Praspar Press
2023 Leħen il-Malti - Rivista tal-Għaqda tal-Malti Università (Għadd 42), poem, Għaqda tal-Malti
2024 Il-Ħsad tal-Peprin: Poeżiji għal Gaża, poem, Horizons
2024 ULYSSES’ SHELTER 3 / 1, short story, Literature Across Frontiers
2024 Antoloġija 1, short story & essay, Aphroconfuso
2024 ANTOLOĠIJA 24, poems, Kotba Calleja