The Minister for Gozo, Anton Refalo officially opened and exhibition entitled 100th Book of Daniel Cilia, taking place in the Public Library, Victoria, Gozo.

This exhibition brings together all the books containing photographs by Daniel Cilia, and is organised by the Gozo branch of the National Library in collaboration with the Culture and Information Office Gozo.

Dr Refalo quoted the well known saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” pointing out that this is precisely what Daniel Cilia shows through his artistic photography. This exhibition is being held to celebrate the 100th photography book on Malta, by this Gozitan artist of international renown, containing photographs selected from the previous 99 books.

The Minister reiterated that the photographs of Daniel Cilia are found in many books by several authors, covering various themes. Among the topics covered are the Ggantija Temples, Neolithic Temples, the Roman Inquisition in Malta, the paintings of Paul Camilleri Cauchi, the tapestries St John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta in the Eighteenth Century, the city of Vittoria, the Cart Ruts, and most recently, the Battle of Lepanto (written by Notary Paul George Pisani).

The Minister for Gozo concluded by saying that “Cilia is further evidence of the extent of the talent in this small island.”

Daniel Cilia was born in Victoria, Gozo, in 1963, has been pursuing photography since he was thirteen. Cilia’s first major exhibition was at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, Malta in 1986. Later that year he was awarded the Licentiate of Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. Soon after he left his nursing profession and transferred to Florence, Italy, to pursue his career in photography.

Cilia has since lectured at the National College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Oslo, Norway (1989), and was in charge of the Photographic Department of the Art Institute of Florence, Lorenzo de Medici, from 1990 to 1995. His work has been exhibited and published in many countries.

In the last twenty-three years, Cilia has specialised in editorial photographic design, with 97 books about the Maltese islands and their history to his credit. In 2008 the photographic book Gorgeous Gozo awarded Cilia the prize for the best-presented book (photography and design) by the National Book Council (Malta). In the same year he was presented with the Award of Recognition for his contribution to the Photographic Art in Malta by the Malta Institute of Professional Photography.

The following year he was bestowed the knightly title Croce pro Merito Melitensi, by Frà Matthew Festing, Grand Master and Prince of the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta, in recognition to Cilia’s publications about the Order.

In 2010 he was conferred the Gieh Ghawdex Award for having contributed to the national cause of the island of Gozo with his books and publications. In the same year his book Panoramic Malta & Gozo (which he also authored) was awarded first prize in its category (Best Book in a Foreign Language) by the National Book Council (Malta).

The same council in 2013 awarded Cilia for the photography and design (best presentation award) done for the book Victoria, A Portrait of a City.

Photograph: MGOZ/George Scerri

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