Gerrard Vassallo started his artistic career in 1961 at a young age, inspired by the works of his father and with an overwhelming imagination. He later honed his abilities while studying as a boarder at De La Salle college. Afterwards Gerrard, attended some lectures of Espri Barthet, who quickly acknowledged the young artist’s ability, remarking that there was not much that he could teach him.
Gerrard grew up viewing the stunning coastline of the Maltese islands and has created a plethora of legendary masterpieces, from the moonlit calm waters of Marsamxett harbour, to the electrifying stormy nights of St Paul’s Bay. He also enjoys forming exhilarating period pieces depicting larger than life historical sea battles.
During his teenage years Gerrard travelled to England a number of times to visit family, these visits became the fuel for his inspiration. These trips resulted in several magnificent artworks and sketches of the British woodlands. Despite enjoying the intricacy of delicately painting the British flora, he felt particularly at home implementing his techniques towards the Maltese countryside and classical architecture.
Gerrard was greatly influenced by the lighting techniques of the greats such as Caravaggio, and those of the Dutch Masters and has incorporated them within his own works. He adopted chiaroscuro and mastered it. This and his explicit detail for texture brought his still life artworks and portraits to life. He has even made few recreations of the masters, including the Girl with the Pearl Earring of Vermeer and The Desperate Man done by Gustav Corbet.
Later in his career Gerrard moved towards designing more abstract works of art. Utilising his feelings, ideas and an explosion of colour, Gerrard creates bursts of chromatic energy which he managed to incorporate onto the canvas. This eruption of inspiration also influenced some of his more surreal and eldritch works.
| 1979 | Three man exhibition at Museum of Fine Arts |
| 1991 | Exhibition in the Comtempary Hall at the Museum of Fine Arts |
| 1998 | Group exhibition at the ta Librag Parish Church |
| 2006 | Group exhibition at the ta Librag Parish Church |
| 2010 | Inspire exhibition Rabat |