Fine Art graduate joins The Great Women Artists Residency in Italy

Maltese artist Anna Calleja's career is endlessly inspiring. Since graduating from Fine Art BA(Hons) in 2020, her work has been exhibited internationally, and has earned her numerous awards, including the Premju Ghal-Arti for Best Young Artist by Arts Council Malta.

2024 has been a particularly busy year for Anna; as well as opening her first ever UK solo show at London's Sim Smith Gallery this week, she has recently been selected as one of three women artists in residence at Palazzo Monti, a cultural centre in Brescia, Italy, as part of the annual Great Women Artists residency, run by art historian Katy Hessel, which features three exciting emerging artists each year.

We chatted to Anna about her practice and how her time at Falmouth shaped her as an artist.

What is your earliest memory of making art?

It's hard to pinpoint the earliest memory of making, but I have faint flashes of jars of crayons, drawing on reels of printer paper with corrugated dotted edges, making stickers and tiny palm-sized books. I remember always finding the right sized boxes for paper, markers and crayons and carrying them around with me.