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John Busuttil Leaver (b.1964)
John Busuttil Leaver (born John Robert Busuttil; 1964) is a Maltese visual artist and painter. He worked for many years in book design. He is philosophical about his artistic work and sees what he does as non-commercial: a statement about the contemporary. He points a finger at abusive construction by evidencing what remains of the countryside and heritage. In his solo show “A Diary of Obsessions”, (2008, Saint James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta) he was one of the earliest to display work which commented against over development. Recent work focuses on traditional oil painting's intrinsic value as a counter to the "anything goes" attitude of commercial culture.
Busuttil Leaver studied at the Malta Government School of art under Harry Alden, and later at The Art and Design Centre, Valletta. He began working as a graphic designer but continued to paint and participate in many collectives. The National Museum of Fine Arts, gave him a one-man showing in 1997. Other one-man shows followed in various galleries and art venues. In 2014 he exhibited work in London.
A number of art critics and curators have covered his work including Nicholas de Piro, Michael J. Schiavone, Emanuel Fiorentino, Dominic Cutajar, Dennis Vella, Adrian Stivala, Raphael Vella and Dr Louis Lagana. The Times of Malta published various articles. He won a number of art competitions and was featured in radio and TV programmes most noteworthy of which was a Canadian TV Cultural programme, 'TV Frames', during their feature on Malta.
100 word version
John Busuttil Leaver (b. 1964) is an artist painter. He is philosophical in his work and sees what he does as non-commercial: a comment about the contemporary. Recent work focuses on traditional oil painting's intrinsic value as a counter to the "anything goes" attitude of commercial culture.
Busuttil Leaver studied at the Malta Government School of Art under Harry Alden, and later at The Art and Design Centre, Valletta. The National Museum of Fine Arts, gave him a one-man showing in 1997. Since then he had other one-man shows and collectives and in 2014 he exhibited work in a London gallery.
John Busuttil Leaver (born John Robert Busuttil; 1964-)
Tel: (0356) 21410971 Mob: (0356) 79410972
Education
Education
Government School of Art, Valletta, Malta 1979-81 O & A level studies
Art & Design Centre, Valletta, Malta 1982-1984 Certificate in Design
Exhibitions
1984
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
1986
Industrial Design Competition Exhibition (PL Light fitting), National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta
1987
Lion’s Club Art Collective, Chamber of Commerce, Valletta, Malta
Maltese German Circle, Valletta, Malta
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
1988
Solo ‘Circles’ Auberge de Provence, Valletta, Malta, Nov
Solo ‘Summer’ Café Rikard, Sliema
Chamber of Commerce, Valletta, Malta
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
1989
Arti Independenza, National Gallery of Fine Arts, Valletta Malta
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
Muzikafest Art, (NSTF), Malta University
Solidarity with Poland Art Show, MUT Premises, Valletta Malta
1990
Din L-Art Helwa, Malta National Trust Art Show, Naxxar
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
1991
Solo ‘Painting’ New Gallery, National Museum of Archaeology, Malta, Dec
MAS Charity Collective, Chamber of Commerce
Din L-Art Helwa, Malta National Trust Art Show, Naxxar
1992
Solo ‘Doors’ Malta International Airport, Malta
Permatex Art Show, Royal British Legion, Valetta, Malta
Association of Maltese Artists, Palazzo De La Salle, Valletta, Malta
Teacher’s Whiskey Art Award Finalist’s Show National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta
1993
Lion’s Club Art Collective, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, Malta
Teacher’s Whiskey Art Award Finalist’s Show National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta
1994
Cathedral Museum Collective Contemporary Art Show, Mdina
1995
Teacher’s Whiskey Art Award Finalist’s Show National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta - (First Prize)
Cathedral Museum Collective Contemporary Art Show, Mdina
1996
Cathedral Museum Collective Contemporary Art Show, Mdina
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
“Kreativa”, Finalist Collective Show (Institute of Visual Arts), National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta
Mithna ta’ Ganu Arts Centre, Birkirkara, Malta.
Contemporary Christian Art in Malta, Cathedral Museum, Mdina
1997
Solo ‘Majjistral’ National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta
Solo ‘Doors’ Boqqa Café, Rabat,
Solo ‘Leaver Art’ Personal Stand Antiques & Fine Arts Fair, Malta International Trade Fair
Eden Foundation Art Charity Show, Gozo
Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta
1998
Solo ‘Triptich Painting’ San Andrea School, Foyer
Eden Foundation Art Charity Show, Gozo
1999
Solo ‘Manscapes’ The Labyrinth Art Gallery’ Valletta, Malta
2000
SEDQA – Art, Substance of Life, University Campus, April
2002
Solo “Woman” Le Meridian Phoenicia , Floriana, Malta
Solo “BLU” VGB Art Gallery. Valletta, Malta
First National Art Competition 2002 – Trade Fair Grounds Naxxar –November
2003
Millennium Chapel Foundation , Group Charity show – Hilton Malta , November
De La Salle Brothers Centenary Show, - Palazzo De La Salle, Valletta
2004
Solo “GREEN” VGB Art Gallery. Valletta, Malta
Solo “RETRO-04” Cleland & Souchet, Portomaso
Solo “Unseen Selections” Corinthia Palace Hotel, San Anton
2005
Lions Club Charity, Fort St Angelo, 9th July Gala Dinner and Auction Sale.
2006
Girgenti open day collective - Palazz ta l-Inquizitur, Girgenti
2008
Solo ‘Reflection’, Stringi Restaurant - Naxxar, March
Solo “A Diary of Obsessions” St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar Christmas Collective – Casino Maltese, Valletta
2009
'The three cities eve of renaissance', Art Collective – Maritime Museum, Birgu, https://timesofmalta.com/article/the-three-cities-eve-of-renaissance.250890
2014
'Rock Face', Camden Image Gallery, London
Solo 'Rock Face', Palazzo De Piro, Mdina
2015
SHout - Spring Hunting Out campaign, Collective Art Exhibition, March, Din L-Art Helwa, (participation and artwork featured as event poster)
2016
Solo 'Open Studio', Artist's Studio, Naxxar
2017
Solo 'Open Studio - The Dance of Art', Artist's Studio, Naxxar
Fine Arts Auction, The Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation, 18 Nov
2018
‘An Auction of Paintings and works of Art by Maltese Artists in aid of The Word Meditation Garden’, 13 April, The Westin Dragonara St. Julian’s
2025
Solo “SKY”, Mapfre MSV Life, Il-Bizzilla, Art Room, 1-30 May
Awards
Teacher's Whiskey Art Awards, First Prize for painting, 1995, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta.
Poster Design in the IFSTS International Poster Award, Third prize, Spain, 1985
Poster Design Competition to illustrate, “Dance Power” a Show by the Dance Council, First prize. Malta, Valletta, 2000
Public Appearances
Radio Show “Kuluri”, Radiu tal-Mediterranean , April 1997.
TV documentary “Min hu l’Artist Malti?” super 1, November 1999
National TV cultural programme “Meander” PBS, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2008 & 2015
Canadian TV Cultural Programme “TV FRAMES”, October 1999 (aired in North America)
The Art Discussion Group (ADG) meeting with the artist, 25 February 2020
___, https://timesofmalta.com/article/discussion-with-artist-john-busuttil-leaver.773444
Bibliography and References
Anon, https://timesofmalta.com/article/Transforming-reality-into-the-imaginary.549954
___, https://timesofmalta.com/article/discussion-with-artist-john-busuttil-leaver.773444
___, https://timesofmalta.com/article/the-three-cities-eve-of-renaissance.250890
Busuttil Leaver, John ‘Cassar’s art by computer’ The Times (Malta), 4 November 1986
___, ‘Malta through the eyes of a French photographer’, The Times (Malta), 20 November 1986
___, ‘Langlois – A life in Art’, The Times (Malta), 7 June 1987
___, ‘Art in Malta today’, The Times (Malta), 28 June 1987, https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/13562
___, ‘Pitre’s Baroque Variations’, The Times (Malta), 16 October 1987
___, ‘Andrew Diacono’s ‘Clay People ’The Times (Malta), 7 January 1988
___, ‘Four distinct paths in one exhibition’ The Times (Malta), 3 November 1989
___, ‘Twin search for esoteric language ’The Times (Malta), 22 December 1989
___, ‘An Arts Centre or a Contemporary Art Museum?’ The Malta Independent, 9 March 1997
___, ‘Art & Superman Politics’, The Malta Independent, 10 May 1998
___, ‘Business in art is business, but the business of art is not business’, The Malta Independent, 11 October 1998
___, ‘The State of the Art’, The Malta Independent, 7 March 1999
___, ‘Sex, Spirituality and loss in Mediterranean Art’, The Malta Independent, 1 August 1999
___, ’Cheap Chinese paintings flooding the market’, The Times of Malta, 8th February 2009. https://timesofmalta.com/article/cheap-chinese-paintings-flooding-the-market.244007
___, Rock face: Exhibition Catalogue – 2014 , Dr Louis Lagana (Introduction), CreateSpace, ISBN 1499549660
Contemporary Christian Art in Malta, Cathedral Museum Publications, Malta, 1996, ISBN: 99909-51-06-3, Page 45, 103
Cutajar, Dominic , ‘Leaver Paintings’, Exhibition Catalogue, 1988
___, ‘Leaver: Majjistral’, Exhibition Catalogue, 1997
de Piro, Nicholas, Artists who painted Malta, Said International Ltd. Malta, 1988. ISBN: 1 871684 00 5, Page 41
___ , Artists who painted Malta, Second Edition, Said International Ltd. Malta, 2002. ISBN: 99932-646-0-1, Page 74
Fiorentino, Emanuel, ‘Feelers of the mind’, The Sunday Times, 27 November 1988
___, ‘Trying new possibilities’, The Sunday Times (Malta), December 1991
___, ‘Majjistral experienced in a Gregale’, The Sunday Times (Malta), 23 March 1997
___, ‘Manscapes at the Labyrinth’ The Sunday Times (Malta), 6 June 1999
___, ‘The cloths of Heaven’, The Sunday Times (Malta), 24 November 2002
Grimaud Toni, The Creative Malta Directory, Publisher Toni Grimaud, Malta, 1998
Lagana, Louis, ‘New page in diary of a visual realist,’ Times of Malta, Malta, 31 October 2008, https://timesofmalta.com/article/new-page-in-diary-of-a-visual-realist.231196
___, ‘A Pied Piper’s Diary of Obsessions,’ Grip Magazine, Malta 2009, https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/26253/1/A_Pied_Pipers_Diary_of_Obsessions.pdf
___, ‘Transforming reality into the imaginary’, The Malta Independent, Malta, 15 December 2014, https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-12-15/newspaper-lifestyleculture/Transforming-reality-into-the-imaginary-6736127325, https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/22670
___, ‘Sky: A emotional cartography through light and land’, The Malta Independent, Malta, 4 May 2025, https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2025-05-04/newspaper-lifestyleculture/Sky-A-emotional-cartography-through-light-and-land-6736269764
Malta International Arts Festival, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1984
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1987
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1988
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1989
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1990
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1996
___, ’Maltafest’ Exhibition Catalogue: 1997
Rosser, Jon Village People, The Times (Malta) - Showtime, 7 November 2003
Schiavone, Michael J., Dictionary of Maltese Biographies, Pubblikazzjonijet Indipendenza, Malta, 2009. ISBN: 978-99932-91-32-9, Page 364-365
Stickland, Lara, ‘An Exhibition of Interiors’, The Times (Malta), 21 December 1991
Stivala, Adrian, ‘Intimate Art’ The Weekend Chronicle, 18 December 1988
___, ‘Scenes from everyday life’, The Times (Malta), 21 December 1991
Vella, Daniela, ‘The Last Word’, The Times Weekender, Malta, 18 May 2002
Vella, Denis, ‘Questing Spirit’, The Times, 30 November 1988
Vella Raphael, ‘The humanness of stone’, The Malta Independent, Malta, 30 May 1999
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