Gozitan artist Godwin Cutajar recently presented a copy of GODWIN DESSIN, the unfinished monograph to Dr Francis Abela, Head of School for Gozo College Boy’s Secondary Victoria.

‘GODWIN DESSIN the unfinished monograph,’ is a recently published monograph by Godwin Cutajar. It consists of a collection of drawings of Still Life, Figure and Portrait, Drawings from Paintings and Sculptures, Drawings from Nude and Drawings from Imagination, the whole collection being defined by Cutajar as a “drawcumentary.”

Most of these drawings were done during his student years in Rome (1988-1993) and they include a selection of the legendary godwiNU series which are nude self portraits from a mirror Cutajar used to do in his small room where he lodged at the historical centre of Rome. The monograph also contains a collection of autobiographical essays.

Apart from its content, this monograph presents itself in a not very common format in that it is based on a scrap book concept. Cutajar states that during his childhood school days they used to have a scrap book which was a copybook containing blank coloured pages. On this scrap book they used to make compositions based on a theme given by the teacher, the actual theme written by hand or with the help of a stencil and further illustrated by gluing pictures cut from magazines.

Cutajar’s monograph is made up of seven groups of coloured pages which together make a rainbow. The designs look as if they have been glued to the pages while the autobiographical essays are printed as if written by hand. Curious among these is a very short essay which could be read only in a mirror.

The autobiographical essays together with the drawings are practically a diary or as Cutajar defines it the “legendiary of my spirit, designing my walks along the paths of relief, belief and make believe”. After his last essay, Cutajar has left some blank pages which evoke a life journey still to be completed, hence the term “the unfinished monograph” in the title.

A limited amount has been printed of this work. Each book has one page different from the rest, thus making each exemplary unique.

Cutajar, born in Fontana Gozo in 1965, dedicates this work to the beloved memory of his late parents Joseph and Phyllis.

The monograph has a foreward by Professor Dr. Oliver Friggieri.

For more information on Gozitan artist Godwin Cutajar please see his website.

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