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July 4, 2025 – Published in Design & Decor Spring-Summer 2025 issue

Ireen Barel sits down with artist Kenneth Zammit Tabona to ask him some intriguing questions

Kenneth Zammit Tabona has been painting for as long as he can remember, always seeking to depict the beauty of his home country through his signature vibrant colours and distinct shapes. Apart from working for different local banks in various managerial roles, Kenneth penned local newspaper reviews about music and theatre between 1975-2010 and served on the Manoel Theatre Management Committee for many years. He is the founder and artistic director of the annual Valletta International Baroque Festival, and he also founded other festivals and artistic ensembles. Kenneth has received several prestigious awards for his cultural contributions, both locally and abroad.

If you could choose to have only one talent, what would it be?

A ballet dancer possibly, as I’m so large and clumsy.

Can you describe which Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto affects you?

Piano Concerto No. 2, with its haunting opening chorus.

Which book has influenced your life? 

The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa—which has absolutely nothing in common with the contemporary Netflix series.

Which human character can you relate to?

My mother… always!

Which is your favourite city?

Rome, the Eternal City.

Which is your favourite church?

The Jesuits’ Church in Valletta with its two exquisite oratories, like baroque jewel boxes.

Do you pray daily?

Daily? Perhaps not!

What do you expect from friendship?

Ideally, one should not expect anything from friendship; otherwise, human frailty is doomed to disappoint. A real friendship—which is as rare as hen’s teeth—should be cherished like a precious jewel.

Do you believe in love?

Love? My experience of love is not brilliant. I know that many people fall in love easily, like falling off a log. Being gay in the 70s and 80s in Malta was not easy at all. One had to hide most of the time and live a double life, which was totally exhausting and frustrating. I was insanely in love once, but it was an impossible love and it marked me for life. Now that I’m approaching 70, I realise that, almost unknowingly, I have created a life for myself that is rich in meaningful relationships. This is a deeper, more serene love, which has nothing to do with sex but depends on generosity of spirit.

Which composer has decoded the complexity of life?

I’m obsessed with Bach and his monumental Goldberg Variations. There is endless philosophical meaning to each of the 30 variations; all so diverse and complex, yet all like beautifully cut and polished gemstones.

Which composer would you have wanted to meet?

Again, Bach… of course!

Do you listen or do you speak?

I think I do a bit of both. I believe I might have made a good teacher in another life. I love imparting information and sharing it with others. It’s also a fact that painting is a solitary art, and one is silent for hours on end. Listening to music is the same.

Do you follow or do you lead?

I think I am a leader but a very impatient one. I have a hard head and a mind of my own, and I do not make allowances for stupid, nonsensical decisions. My attitude—typical Sagittarius—is to circumnavigate a mountain until I find a safe way up (or down).

What is your favourite symbol?

The obelisk.