In the 20th article in a series on 20th-century artists who shaped Maltese modernism,
Joseph Agius details the evolution of sculptor Joseph M. Genuis.
Joseph Mary Genuis (1934-1970) was one of the 20th-century sculptors that Malta lost at a very young age. His oeuvre displays a very modernist approach that shows that he was very aware of the global art world, especially the European one.
His friendship with fellow sculptors Josef Kalleya − one of the two fathers of Maltese modernism − and Toni Pace and with painter Frank Baldacchino, coupled with their frequent discussions on art and literature, provided the young sculptor with ample thematic and stylistic direction.