Showcase & Discover Creative Work

Priscilla Ainhoa Griscti was born in Spain in 1985, in a small village called Oropesa del Mar in Valencia where her parents were living at the time. Despite only spending her first few months there, Ainhoa remained true to her roots by frequently visiting Spain and her hometown Oropesa. This profound attraction towards Spain is also markedly evident through the use of her artistic signature ''Ainhoa''; her Spanish second name. Ainhoa's passion for art developed with her, growing as she grew, becoming intricately linked to her persona, her feelings, and her emotions. Although wonderfully surreal, her art finds many connections to the real world, to the things that incite the artist's inspiration such as antiques objets d'art to which the artist was exposed as from a very tender age through her father, a prominent local antiquarian.

Based in Malta, Ainhoa began her secondary education at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, where she found herself in an environment that urged her towards creativity. In her school breaks she often withdrew from the crowds into the safe haven offered to her by the art room, in which she would draw, and paint freeing her imagination. At fourteen years of age, Ainhoa attended the Malta Government School of Art which gave her a firm grounding in academic art. At sixth form she entered De La Salle College, taking art as her main subject whilst evolving a more liberal style and expression. During this time, she joined other local contemporary artists in life figure drawing at various studios on the island, where she acquired a more profound knowledge of anatomy and acquired a heightened sensitivity towards the nude figure. Also during this time, Ainhoa began working in ceramics and clay sculpture.

At eighteen years of age, Ainhoa held her first solo exhibition entitled 'Hidden Illusions' at Hotel Le Meridien Phoenicia in Valletta. The show displayed surrealist works of metamorphosed animals in human portraiture, powerfully expressing nature’s destructive force. 'Hidden Illusions' received a positive response from local and foreign art critics and media alike. In 2007, Ainhoa formed part of the ISIDEM workshop held by the internationally reknown contemporary artist Sancho Silva. This workshop was followed with a collective exhibition of installations entitled '60x60x60' at Biagio Steps in Valletta. In 2008, Ainhoa attended the SACI Malta Restoration Internship run by Roberta Lapucci and carried on practical work on the restoration of the 'The Baptism of Christ' by Mario Minniti.

Also in 2008, Ainhoa took Malta by storm in another solo exhibition which she called 'Anima del Circo'. The exhibition, held at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu, lasted over two months and captures the attention of various art enthusiasts, followers, and collectors. The show avidly displayed large scale works in mixed media that dealt with the concept of the tragedy of human existence through the image of the circus clown. Throughout the years, Ainhoa also took part in a number of collective exhibitions and held many solo shows in prominent galleries and locations such as the Casino di Venezia in Vittoriosa, the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Balzan, and Le Meridien Phoenicia in Valletta amongst others. In March 2011, Ainhoa was chosen as one of the winners in Saatchi’s online competition and was given the opportunity to exhibit seven of her works at the 'ARTPARIS' show at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.

Ainhoa also achieved two degrees from the University of Malta; a B.A.(Hons.) and an M.A. in Art History. Read Less

Solo Exhibitions

2008 - 'Anima del Circo' at the Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa, Malta.

2004 - 'Hidden Illusions' at the Hotel Le Meridien Phoenicia, Valletta, Malta.

Collective Exhibitions

2011 - ART PARIS, Grand Palais es Champs-Elysées, Paris, France.

2007 - National Art Exhibition, Trade Fair Grounds, Naxxar, Malta

2007 - '60x60x60', Biagio Steps, Valletta, Malta.

2005 September - 'Brushstrokes' at Vilhena Palace, Mdina, Malta. Read Less

NEWSPAPERS

2008 - The Sunday Times of Malta, 'Ainhoa Griscti's Anima del Circo', E.V.Borg, October 19, p.52
2008 - L-Orizzont, 'Iċ-Ċirklu minn wara l-Kwinti', September 3, p.20
2008 - The Malta Independent, Gallarija, August 24, Front Page, p.35
2008 - The Sunday Times of Malta, ‘Life is a cabaret Circus’, August 24, p.3, p.44
2008 - The Sunday Times of Malta, ‘Anima del Circo’, August 10, p.47
2008 - Malta Today, ‘What’s on this week’, August 10, p.27
2008 - The Times of Malta, Showtime, ‘Oh what a circus!’, August 1, p.5
2007 - The Sunday Times of Malta, Property & Home Supplement, ‘Art in the Home’, July 1, p.9
2007 - The Malta Independent, ‘60x60x60’, March 20
2007 - The Times of Malta, 'Art at the End of the Tunnel, March 10, pp.24,25
2004 - Malta Today, ‘In the Spotlight’, December 19, p.37
2004 - The Sunday Times of Malta, 'Loving art for art's sake', December 11
2004 - Gallarija, ‘Hidden Illusions’, December 5, p.14.
2004 - The Times of Malta, ‘Artist puts up exhibition’, December 2, p.23
2004 - The Sunday Times of Malta, November 28, p.24

MAGAZINES

2012 - We See It Magazine, Volume 5, April pp.69-75
2012 - C-Heads Magazine, Issue 28, April, pp.106-115
2012 - No Cigar Magazine, Issue 2, March, pp.35-40
2012 - Rumours Magazine, Issue 2, March, pp.60-66
2012 - 2Be Magazine, Issue 19, February, pp.66-69
2012 - Slave Magazine, Issue 5, February, pp.204-207
2012 - Plateform Magazine, Numéro 37, January, pp.120-140
2011 - Pavli Style Magazine, Issue 1, December, pp.58-65
2011 - Les Independents Magazine, Issue 13, October, pp.1-3.
2011 - Innovated Magazine, Issue 3, March, Front Cover & pp. 16-21
2010 - Tune In Magazine, Issued with the Sunday Times of Malta, Issue 199, July 24, Front Cover, p.4
2010 - La Vie Cherie Magazine, January 26
2008 - Manic! Magazine, Issue 27, July, p.35
2007 - Heritage Malta Newsletter, 'ISIDEM', Issue 6, April, p.10

TV INTERVIEWS

2011 - Education 22, Kultura, Arti u Wirt Nazzjonali, June 27
2009 - Television Malta, Carnival, February 22
2008 - Television Malta, Caravaggio, October 4
2008 - Net TV, Arti Kontemporanja Maltija, September 20
2008 - Television Malta, Local News, August 6
2004 - Television Malta, Meander, December 18

PUBLICATIONS

2009 - Minniti Baptism - A Signed Masterpiece, Saci Studio Art Centres International, Edifir Publications, Firenze

FASHION BLOGS

2011 - Les Mads ChuhChuh, 'Shoewatch de Tages', February 22 Read Less