Beyond the Visible III: Transcendence

by Olaug Vethal

• Vinyl acrylics on paper
• 29.5cm by 42cm
• 32.8cm by 45.3cm framed
• c. 1995-2006

In Beyond the Visible III: Transcendence, Olaug Vethal enters into dialogue with the bijin-ga tradition of Kitagawa Utamaro, whose intimate portraits of women used the face, gaze and gesture to evoke character and psychological presence.

Vethal transforms the delicacy and restraint of this tradition through sweeping, physical strokes of colour. The woman’s face remains recognisable, yet its boundaries loosen and merge with the
surrounding space. Her upward, inward gaze suggests a consciousness moving beyond immediate physical presence.

Within Vethal’s metaphysical world, Transcendence becomes an exploration of what might exist beyond the visible self. Body, identity and material form begin to dissolve, suggesting a passage from the physical towards another, less tangible state of being.

This work is currently hung at Spazju A, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta until 25th October 2026 as part of the exhibition ‘Beyond The Visible | The Metaphysical Worlds of Olaug Vethal, curated by Christine Xuereb and in collaboration with Christine X Art Gallery