Weekend with Grandma

Moira Zahra

Watercolour and ink 55.5cm x 73.5cm.

Xebgħa Nies (loosely translated as a throng of people) was the title of the 2014 collective exhibition wherein Moira Zahra first exhibited her work ‘Weekend with Grandma’. The recurring theme of the exhibition was people.

Weekend with Grandma playfully depicts four women by the pool illustrated in an almost caricature like fashion. The familiar scene is given a humorous rendition as instead of a toddler in her arms, the central figure holds an ant with the same level of affection one would extend to a child. Her lean and lanky silhouette is juxtaposed against the ant she is holding, with a playful twist on the humorous theory of pets possibly resembling their owners and vice versa.

The four figures are whimsically illustrated with cool tropical colours rendering ‘Weekend with Grandma’ a comforting almost nostalgic picture even with the depiction of a six legged ant. One is certain that this quirky artwork may be taken with a light-hearted giggle, sending us back to childhood fantasies when everything seemed possible- even having an ant as a pet.