Keith Deman Studio

Once again I would like to express my gratitude for this initiative. They delivered us a well-detailed guidance in our artisan paths!

selection of glass and placing, tracing, cutting and grinding

Amongst others, these 5 vital steps are necessary to transform any artwork drawn on paper to a stained glass piece.

Il-familja ta’ missieri minn ‘Tal-Qamħa’, minn Bengħisa. Għalhekk meta konna tfal konna nqattgħu ġranet sħaħ Bengħisa, kemm fir-razzett tan-nanna kif ukoll fir-razzett li kienet trabbiet fih in-nanna, fejn kienu għadhom jgħixu ħutha. Għamilt sa ma kelli għoxrin sena fil-Mużew u lħaqt it-tranżizzjoni mill-knisja tad-Duluri għall-mużew il-ġdid. Fil-Mużew tgħallimt is-sinifikat u s-sabiħ tal-volontarjat. Għandi memorji sbieħ kemm tal-attivitajiet u anke tax-xogħol li konna nagħmlu l-iktar fil-presepji. Ilħaqt żmien meta konna niltaqgħu niġru bir-roti fi żmien meta r-raħal kien iżgħar u anke inqas traffikuż. L-iktar li konna niffrekwentaw kien fejn illum hemm l-impjant tal-gas f’Wied ix-Xaqqa, fejn hemm kien għadu miftuħ u konna mmorru niġru u nibnu l-kampijiet b’li konna nsibu.

Meta tlaqt mill-Mużew kont ingħaqadt mad-dilettanti tan-nar tal-Banda Birżebbuġa fejn kont anke ġibt il-liċenzja. Kont naħdem fin-nar tal-art. Illum m’għadnix involut għad li kultant ngħin xi ftit ‘l hawn u ‘l hinn. F’Birżebbuġa hawn min hu verament dilettant u hawn talent u potenzjal impressjonanti. Il-livell taż-żewġ għaqdiet tan-nar għola ferm u tabilħaqq għandna biex inkunu kburin!
L-arti minn dejjem kienet ġo fija. Infatti kont attendejt l-iskola ta’ Targa Gap. Fi tfuliti kont immur nosserva liz-ziju tiegħi Joe Caruana jaħdem l-istained glass. Maż-żmien bdejt anke ngħinu u llum, biex ngħid hekk, ħadt ix-xogħol jien. Hi xi ħaġa affaxxinanti kif minn ħafna ħġieġ ikkulurit toħloq il-kwadru li trid.

Il-palk ukoll inħobbu u bdejt nieħu sehem fil-pagent tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira fl-2013. Din is-sena għamilt il-parti ta’ Kristu. Ix-xagħar twil u d-daqna għamluha iktar faċli biex l-għażla ddur fuqi, però għall-bidu kont ftit beżgħan. Birżebbuġa għandna talenti kbar anke fid-drama u minn dawn in-nies tgħallimt ħafna. Is-sabiħ tal-Pagent hu li din tgħaqqad ir-raħal kollu, irrelevanti l-każini tal-baned. Ma’ Blanzuni kont ngħin liz-ziju Joe fil-make-up teatrali.

Il-livell ta’ dak kollu li nipproduċu bħala raħal għola ferm, kemm fil-piroteknika, kemm fid-drama, arti u ħafna iktar. Però nħoss li kieku jkun hawn iktar komunjoni kemm bejn l-individwi kif ukoll bejn l-għaqdiet, inkunu nistgħu niksbu riżultati ogħla.

Keith Demanuele

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My father’s family known as ‘Tal-Qamħa’ is from Bengħisa. So when we were young we used to spend whole days at Bengħisa, in my grandmother’s farm and also in the farm where she was raised, where her siblings lived. I was a member of the MUSEUM till I was 20 years old and I remember the transition from the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows to the new MUSEUM premises. During my MUSEUM years I learned the meaning and the beauty of voluntary work. I have nice memories of the activities and also of the work we did mostly in the Christmas cribs. I know a time when we used to ride our bikes when the village was smaller and there was less traffic. We used to go mostly where today there is the gas implant at Wied ix-Xaqqa, when it was still open and we used to run around and build camps with whatever we found.

When I left the MUSEUM, I had joined Fireworks team of Banda Birzebbugia where I had even gained my licence. I used to work in the ground fireworks. Today I am not involved anymore although sometimes I help a little here and there. In Birzebbugia there are persons who really like working on fireworks and there is impressive talent and potential. The level of both band clubs got higher and we really should be proud!

Art was always in me. In fact I had attended the Targa Gap school. In my childhood I used to observe my uncle Joe Caruana working on stained glass. With time I also started helping him and today, so to say, I took the work. It is fascinating how from many small pieces of coloured glass you can create the picture you want.

I also love the stage and I also took part in the Good Friday pageant in 2013. This year I had the part of Christ. My long hair and beard made it easy to choose me, but in the beginning I was a little frightened. In Birzebbugia we have great talents even in drama and I learnt a lot from these people. The beauty of the pageant is that it unites the whole village, irrelevant of the band clubs. I also used to help my uncle Joe in theatre make-up with Blanzuni.

The level of all that we produce as a village has gotten much higher, in pyrotechnics, in drama, art and much more. But I feel that if there was more communion amongst individuals and also amongst the groups, we could get better results.

Keith Demanuele

Ħajr lil / Thanks to

📸Brian Agius Photography
✍️Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birzebbuġa